Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries at a pace few could have anticipated. The realm of photography and video production is no exception. While AI has brought about numerous advancements in creating, editing, and distributing content (see our post on how Raised Media Co. uses AI to speed up our video production turnaround times), there’s a growing concern about the proliferation of what many are calling “AI-generated slop”—content that’s high in quantity but low in quality. This concern raises important questions about the future of corporate photography and video production.
AI is making waves bigger than a CEO's ego after a successful quarter. But before we crown our robot overlords as the new kings of content, let's take a closer look at this David vs. Goliath battle of pixels and creativity.
While AI can generate a corporate headshot in seconds, it takes a human photographer an average of 45 minutes to capture the essence of corporate leadership – bad ties, awkward smiles, and all.
The Rise of the Machines (and Their Mediocre Art)
AI tools are popping up faster than AI centric startups, promising to revolutionize how we create visual content. Need 100 variations of your product against a white background? AI's got you covered. Want a video of your CEO delivering a heartfelt message without actually involving your CEO? There's probably an app for that.
But here's where it gets tricky. While AI can generate content fast, it often lacks the finesse of human touch. It's like expecting a robot to understand the subtle art of water cooler gossip – it just doesn't compute.
The Human Touch: More Than Just Opposable Thumbs
Us humans, on the other hand, bring something to the table that AI (so far) can only dream of – the ability to capture the soul of a brand through a lens. A skilled corporate B2B photographer doesn't just take pictures; they tell stories, evoke emotions, and sometimes even make the accounting department look exciting.
Studies show that authentic, human-created corporate videos increase employee engagement by 37%, while AI-generated content increases the likelihood of employees falling asleep at their desks by 100%.
Consider this: When was the last time an algorithm made you feel something? Unless it was the frustration of trying to prove you're not a robot to a website, probably never. Human photographers and videographers have this uncanny ability to capture those fleeting moments that define a company's culture.
The Hybrid Future: When AI and Humans Play Nice
The future of corporate visual content isn't about choosing sides; it's about finding the sweet spot where human creativity and AI efficiency can coexist like sales and marketing teams at the holiday party – reluctantly, but effectively.
Imagine AI handling the grunt work – sorting through thousands of shots to find the ones where everyone's eyes are open (a miracle in itself for group photos). Meanwhile, human creatives focus on the bigger picture, crafting visual narratives for their audience on a level deeper than a deep learning algorithm.
Companies employing a hybrid approach of AI and human creativity in their corporate visual content report an increase in brand recall and a decrease in people using their brochures as impromptu coasters.
The Bottom Line: Quality Over Quantity (Novel Concept, We Know)
In the end, the winner in this AI vs. human showdown isn't about who can produce more content faster. It's about who can create visuals that make people stop, look, and maybe even feel something other than the urge to check their phones.
So, the next time you're tempted to let an algorithm handle your company's visual storytelling, ask yourself: Do I want content that's merely seen, or content that's remembered? Because in the world of corporate visuals, being forgettable is the real corporate sin.
AI might be able to generate a thousand images in the blink of an eye, but it takes a human to capture the twinkle in that eye. After all, in the grand theater of business, you want your visuals to be more "standing ovation" and less "polite golf clap." And for that, you might just need a human touch.
Raised Media Co. is a NYC-based commercial photography and video production agency specializing in experiential visual content. We help brands and personalities tell compelling stories through high-impact photos and videos.
corporate photography
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