By Morgan Mellas, Art Supervisor, Neon
Artificial intelligence without human influence is a scary thing. In the healthcare industry in particular, artificial intelligence with human influence can absolutely change lives.
Discourse around AI continues to evolve. From a futuristic tech-centric behemoth to how we can apply technology to solve real-world challenges today, there is an underlying movement that emphasizes AI use as a tool for change, almost contradictorily bringing the human experience back to the forefront of tech. In the healthcare space, there are big opportunities for growth, and it all comes back to “how can we actually HELP people and improve lives?”
As a creative, it’s easy to embrace day to day uses of AI – leveraging Midjourney or Firefly to build comps or going into a creative review with a Photoshop-generated image rather than a sketch. It’s easy, it’s not hurting anyone and it’s simplifying your day. And that’s fine. As with everything, creatives need to learn and grow with new tools as they’re rolled out. If I neglected to learn Photoshop when it launched because it was new and scary, I wouldn’t be a creative now. I don’t think anyone can argue that it’s necessary to keep an open mind about new technologies and opportunities. The real gray area and point of concern comes into play when people start allowing AI to do the thinking for them.
When crafting patient profiles for a client, for example, plugging in keywords and generating images or copy without considering the implicit biases in generative AI gets dangerous. When you type in the word “worker,” what kind of image is generated? What about “doctor?” As creatives, particularly in an industry like healthcare, we need to be hyper-aware of not falling into a trap of accidental biases and stereotypes, just because it might seem easier and faster to use AI than it is to take the time and create a well-thought-out profile. When leveraging AI, a human filter is imperative so as not to perpetuate stereotypes in creative work.
I don’t think there are answers to all the what-ifs and potential scenarios of AI use yet, but we can and should all take a step back and prioritize our responsibilities to our clients, customers and patients. As healthcare marketers it’s our job to evolve with the times, but it’s also our obligation to examine all aspects of the equation and choose the right thing over the easy thing. I think the question on AI should be less “how can this make my life easier?” and more, “how can this help our patients? What’s the big picture?”
A creative campaign that expertly leveraged AI and demonstrated the humanity of what we do in healthcare was AREA 23’s bAIgrapher. bAIgrapher is the first platform to use generative artificial intelligence to make reminiscence therapy accessible and practical for people with Alzheimer's disease. It collects stories from patients and their loved ones and then creates personalized biographies that help patients reconnect with their past – a technique that can help strengthen memory and maintain cognitive functioning. The AI behind bAIgrapher is different: trained in over 400 biographies, it’s uniquely equipped to write a compelling life story and generates content based on specific information provided by the user. The platform provides a powerful tool for improving the quality of life and emotional well-being of people with Alzheimer’s disease, putting patients first and letting them know, “we want to help,” and “we hear you.”
With the increasing omnipresence of AI, we sometimes forget that you don’t have to use it at all – or you can be choiceful when you do. With Neon’s Love Me Not, centered around stories of domestic violence, we wanted our audience to see themselves in our words and images, and to do that we made a conscious choice to keep it strictly human. We spoke to experts and survivors, held focus groups and crafted our images, messaging and website from these conversations, focusing on individual stories and connecting human to human. As a direct response to the sensitive subject matter, we opted for a non-AI approach to ensure authenticity, relatability and engagement. As creatives, particularly in the healthcare industry where trust is paramount, it’s important that we are discerning about when we use AI and that we’re not using tech for tech’s sake.
As AI becomes the way of the future, no matter how we use it (or don’t), we as advertisers and marketers must acknowledge that humanity has to win. Projects that make a tangible difference, projects that strike a chord and projects that empower the widest audiences all connect with some human emotion. Whether it’s joy, sorrow, love, humor or anger, every project that makes you stop and say “wow,” is rooted in humanity. Because without humanity, what’s the point?
