Global design agency Re (part of M&C Saatchi Group) has launched a set of six principles to navigate its future use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
CEO Patrick Guerrera has launched the principles in consultation with the global leadership team to address what he sees as a gap in the rapidly changing landscape.
“Our goal at Re is to help our clients take advantage of the incredible potential of AI, to support human creativity in designing truly distinct brands and experiences,” said Guerrera. “These principles are our way of staying on the front-foot as we move into this exciting new era.”
As AI grows in popularity, the agency has seen the challenge as leading brand-led designers to balance the need to embrace the new, with the need to proceed consciously and with purpose. These principles are the agency’s first pass at finding that happy equilibrium.
The agency’s leadership team has rolled-out the principles internally, and is currently taking its clients through them, so they can too understand the new capabilities the agency has, as well as the shared responsibility to use them well.
The principles include:
1. Prioritise people over outputs
Images tell people’s stories. We won’t use AI as a way to bypass proper consultation and engagement with people, or to co-opt someone else’s narrative. While we’ll use AI to mock up concepts, or fill in background detail, when it comes to representation, only real people will do.
2. Take inspiration but never imitate
While we will draw inspiration from other people’s style, we never use a current artist, photographer, filmmaker or any creative’s name in a prompt unless it’s in obvious homage to their work and the reference would be clear to audiences.
3. Be transparent about the use of AI
We believe transparency and accountability will help build trust between users and AI systems. We will always be open about where AI is used in our work, particularly when it’s been a fundamental part of the process.
Public concern and mistrust over the use of AI remains high. As we continue to define what’s acceptable and what isn’t, openness in the use of AI is key.
4. Use AI to support creativity, not replace it
AI is a great way to break free from a blank page and quickly visualise nascent ideas, but it’s only one part of the creative process. We are mindful of identifying the opportunities and efficiencies of AI, as well as its limitations.
We are committed to continuing to work with a broad array of creative specialists, redefining our relationship with them to dedicate more time to the sort of thinking that only humans can do. Because only human ingenuity can push creativity forward and create work that is authentic and distinctive.
5. Be aware of the biases in AI and strive to overcome them
AI can only work with what already exists, and we don’t have to look far to understand the biases that are currently ingrained in AI data sets. If left to its own devices, for example, AI will depict CEOs and Creative Directors exclusively as white men. It can’t deviate from the mean, or push to make things better. Only we can do that. It’s our role to understand these technologies deeply and bring diverse human perspectives into the process as we strive to push beyond our own biases and shortcomings.
6. Take steps to stay protected
We’re excited to embrace the opportunities and efficiencies of AI, but we’re also mindful of proceeding with care. Challenges such as AI’s potential biases, intellectual property issues, and data security and privacy have the potential to cause serious problems for brands. We commit to staying informed so we can help keep our clients protected.
See also: M&C Saatchi Group’s Moray MacLennan retires as global chief executive officer
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Top Image: Patrick Guerrera