MAICON 2024* was a week-long exploration for those excited about AI's potential yet wary of the hype. AI promises to amplify our creativity but threatens to make creators obsolete. Or does it?
Through keynotes, breakouts, and hallway chats, I searched for others who believe, as I do, that AI isn't the star of the show. Humans are. Finding others with this POV wasn't difficult amongst this community of marketing AI pioneers.
I've distilled five takeaways. Let's dive in.
1. Protect Your Creative DNA
The intersection of AI and copyright law poses complex challenges for creators. Elizabeth Shaw's panel shed light on the current legal landscape. Under U.S. Copyright Office guidance, AI-generated work isn't copyrightable without human authorship. The required balance of human and AI contribution is unclear. Using genAI carelessly may infringe on others' intellectual property rights.
Here are some proactive steps to help navigate these challenges and protect your unique voice and creative output:
Cultivate a distinct creative perspective that AI can't replicate.
Value and retain human writers and creative talent!
Document your creative process for crucial work, including (very, very specific) AI contributions in creating the work. The guidance was 'better safe than sorry.'
Identify and protect your organization's crown jewels - the unique assets that define your value, from data to creative processes.
Implement a fact-checking governance process with humans in the loop to ensure accuracy at scale.
"AI is like the fancy new car that no one asked for or wanted. But now we all have to learn to drive." Robert Rose in his 'AI is Not a Strategy' keynote2. Turn AI into Your Problem-Solving Tool
Paul Roetzer, the founder and CEO of Marketing AI Institute, shared this guidance on thinking beyond using AI for basic tasks.
Create a dynamic AI roadmap that evolves with your business.
Implement a "Moonshot, Sweet Spot, Quick Win" framework of use case exploration to help you balance ambition with practicality.
Paul created a "Problem GPT" to brainstorm solutions focused on outcomes, not just efficiency.
Mike Kaput's rapid-fire presentation of 30 AI tools in 30 minutes highlighted the importance of maximizing our existing tools. New AI features are constantly being added to the platforms we use daily.
What's a roadmap? It's a 1-2 year plan that prioritizes use cases and integrates with business practices.
3. Use AI to Amplify Your Expertise
AI can enhance what you know and want to share with the world.
Build a proprietary knowledge base: Develop a unique database of insights, case studies, and expertise only your organization possesses. Use this to inform your AI-assisted content creation, ensuring your output is distinctly yours and can't be replicated by AI tools.
Regularly audit your content for coherence in maintaining your authentic voice. Jasper is a genAI tool that can help you do this. Jared Ostern can share exactly how.
Don't risk sounding like AI. Use context and depth of thought. Include specifics and insights only you can offer.
Jeff Coyle from MarketMuse asked: "How can you create content that only your business can produce?" If you can't answer that question today, start there.
4. Be Comfortable with Change
In a room of 1,100 AI-savvy people, we all shared a common trait. We were comfortable with change and uncertainty. Here are some ways to stay ahead:
Conduct regular "AI exposure audits": Assess which tasks and processes will likely be impacted by advancing AI. This helps you anticipate changes, identify areas for upskilling, and spot opportunities for AI integration.
Understand AGI potential pragmatically: Don't get caught up in hype. Focus on practical impacts. It was noted that AI becoming 50-75% as capable as humans in certain tasks could be game-changing. Consider how this might affect your work.
Learn from higher education. Leaders like Megan J. Crawford and Rob Croll are proactively planning for AI's impact on university communities.
Embrace your "Digital Doppelgänger": Andrew Davis introduced this concept of AI-powered creative collaborators. These virtual twins can enhance your creative process, serving as brainstorming partners and strategic advisors. Explore new ideas by leveraging AI to create a digital version of yourself or your brand's persona. He made his and named it Drewdini.
5. Keep Your AI Approach Open
Chris Penn advocated an open approach, emphasizing the importance of maintaining control in this rapid change. His keynote provided ways to avoid getting locked into a single AI ecosystem:
Explore open-source models for customization and data privacy.
Evaluate the trade-offs between open approaches and public models like ChatGPT.
Build a flexible AI stack that can adapt as technology evolves.
Don't miss Chris Penn's informative Almost Timely News.
Open models go by various names in the industry, including local AI, private AI, open-source AI, and open weights models.
There are eight reasons for open models: keep AI available, keep data private, avoid censorship and control, increase equity and inclusion, contain costs, stimulate innovation, accelerate customization, and reduce environmental impact.
The Bottom Line
MAICON 2024 clarified that AI is reshaping our creative lives, whether we're ready or not. Expect challenges around AI and copyright law, disruption to traditional creative roles, and the emergence of new business models. We're years away from confidence in AI-copyright interactions. Navigate carefully, but don't let fear hold you back.
Fittingly, Cleveland, Ohio, served as the meeting ground for AI pioneers, steps away from the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—a reminder that creativity and technology have always collaborated in shaping our culture.
*MAICON is a yearly in-person conference for those who want to meet and share marketing AI case studies, methodologies, and technologies. The Marketing AI Institute holds the conference. MAICON 2025 info here. If you want specifics on my experience, reach out!
About me
If you’re looking to infuse creative, strategic thinking into your organization or event, I can help. As the writer and editor of this blog and author of Making GenAI Work for Work, I’m dedicated to helping creators harness their unique human skills for success. Through my work with Expera Consulting and Ragan Communications, I guide team leaders and individual creators in leveraging AI strategically and responsibly for growth. You can find my insights published on LinkedIn and The Strategist Blog.
GenAI tools used
Claude was used to summarize my notes and refine passages for clarity and narrative flow. Gemini was used to create the header image. ChatGPT was used to research specific facts.
Looking to become an AI leader in your org?
Check out Impact Eats Status, The ROI of REAL Connection
Are you getting started?
Comments