The Generative AI Generation Gap


16 June 2024 | Issue #52

In this issue:

  • How age influences AI comprehension
  • Should managers be afraid of AI taking their jobs?
  • 3 content strategies in the age of AI
  • Apple gets into AI
  • AI is more creative than 99% of people
  • MarTech vendor finder

After joking about AI art being Boomer art a couple of weeks ago, I'm starting to see more stories focused on how different generations are using, and being fooled by, AI-generated content.

In a study released earlier this year, Barna Group found that usage of AI differs greatly from generation to generation.

Younger generations use AI the most, while older generations use it the least. When it comes to trusting AI, this aligns with usage patterns: people tend to fear the unknown. If you don't take the time to learn something, you're likely not to understand it.

Using AI tends to make people more optimistic. And the inverse is true, too. Not using AI leads to mistrust.

The study also went on to say that younger people have a better grasp that AI will impact their lives. Only 1% of Boomers feel they definitely need to integrate AI into their lives. As they settle into retirement, or they're on their second or third decade of retirement, this makes senes that AI won't play a big part in their daily lives.

What older people don't realize is that they're consuming a lot of AI-generated content. Their lack of understanding is leading to them being fooled into thinking the content is real.

While some people on Reddit may joke that a lifetime of exposure to lead may be causing Boomers to believe everything they see on Facebook, the reality is that they don't understand the ease with which this content is created. They were raised during a time when the news told the truth. Outside of the National Enquirer, most of the content they were exposed to was fact based.

These days anybody can easily create anything and it can be shared anywhere.

How can you help the Boomers in your life?

  • Take the time to sit down with them and show them what these tools can do.
  • Open up Midjourney or ChatGPT and demonstrate how easy it is to create and manipulate content.
  • Explain that AI-generated results at the top of Google SERPs may not be accurate.
  • Relate it to their experiences, like the realistic-looking fantasy they’ve seen in Marvel movies, to help them understand how this technology is affecting their news and Facebook content.

Also, happy father's day to my Boomer father. We have many conversations about what is real and what isn't.

Isn't this a design and AI newsletter?

So what does this mean for you? It means that when you’re using AI to create content, think about the audience that is consuming it. Younger generations will see through your artificially produced images and copy. And it means you have to be responsible if your audience is older.

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

🤕 Workers Are Concerned About AI Taking Their Jobs. Should Managers Be Too?

Inc. explores the growing concerns among workers about AI replacing their jobs and examines whether managers should share these concerns, providing critical insights for leaders in the design and creative industries.

Reskilling and Adaptation: The article highlights the importance of reskilling and adapting to new technologies, emphasizing that managers should focus on upskilling their teams to work alongside AI rather than be replaced by it.

Human-AI Collaboration: It points out that successful integration of AI can lead to enhanced productivity and innovation, where human creativity and AI efficiency work together to achieve better outcomes.

Keep reading

♟️ 3 Content Strategies in the Age of AI

Joe Pulizzi on LinkedIn discusses three key content strategies that are essential for thriving in the AI era, offering valuable insights for marketers and designers looking to stay ahead.

Hyper-Personalization: AI enables hyper-personalized content, allowing marketers to create highly targeted messages that resonate deeply with individual audience segments.

Content Repurposing: Utilizing AI to repurpose and distribute content across multiple platforms ensures maximum reach and engagement without significantly increasing workload.

Keep reading

🍏 Apple Unveils Image Playground AI

MacRumors reports on Apple’s new Image Playground AI, a tool set to revolutionize image creation and editing, presenting significant opportunities for designers looking to enhance their creative workflows.

Automated Image Generation: The AI can automatically generate images based on text descriptions, allowing designers to quickly visualize concepts and iterate on ideas.

Advanced Editing Capabilities: Image Playground AI offers sophisticated editing tools that can make detailed adjustments with precision, saving designers time and effort while enhancing the quality of their work.

Keep reading

NEW RESOURCES FOR YOU

AI is more creative than 99% of people

The University of Arkansas conducted a test that put 151 people up against ChatGPT-4 in a series of tests to measure divergent thinking, a creativity indicator.

No humans won.

😬

The tests were untimed, but obviously the AI performed the tasks much faster than the humans. The article outlining the study said you should work on your integrating AI into your creative tasks.

Affiliate of the week: Looking for a MarTech partner?

Sometimes the right tool can solve a big problem. When I, or my team, need to solve a big, department- or enterprise-level problem, I turn to Quartz Network to offer suggestions of vendors or partners I can work with.

After a conversation with the concierge specialist to define the problem, you can then select different vendors to talk to. A while back, one of these conversations led to my then-employer saving more than $100,000 a year.

It was a shortcut to finding potential partners.

If you're looking to solve a problem in the upcoming months, bookmark this link.

HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

If you want to learn more about what's available, here are some links:

Thanks for reading!

-Jim

Let's chat about your career growth

14 Grapevine Road, Merrimack, NH 03054
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