The symposium themed “Artificial Intelligence in Advertising” organized by Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Faculty of Communication was held in Hall Z-127 with a high level of participation. The symposium was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga Erkan. The event, enriched with presentations by academics and graduate students from different universities, addressed the effects of artificial intelligence in the field of advertising in a multidimensional manner.

News: Büşra Kartal

Tolga Erkan “We are in an era where the system decides for us”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tolga Erkan, who made the opening speech of the symposium, addressed the rise of artificial intelligence in the field of advertising from a different perspective. Erkan, who started his speech by talking about how artificial intelligence has rapidly entered our lives, then drew attention to the fact that this technology is not only a convenience but also a danger.
“We now live in a world that is shaped by what we click on a search engine. Decisions are made by systems, not people,” said Erkan, adding that artificial intelligence has become not only a tool but also a decision-making mechanism. He drew attention to the danger of creative processes becoming mechanized, as well as the speed and convenience provided by artificial intelligence in advertising.

Erkan, who explained that artificial intelligence is used in areas such as copywriting, design and strategic planning, warned, “Although it makes our job easier, we should see how this technology guides us without us realizing it. The data we provide may one day come back to us as a threat.”

One of the striking examples in Erkan’s presentation was the Mona Lisa. “Artificial intelligence has produced versions of Mona Lisa wearing makeup and smoking. Wouldn’t this be considered an invasion of the privacy of a woman who lived 500 years ago?” Erkan asked, and related this situation to today’s data privacy issues. It was questioned whether regulations such as GDPR in Europe and KVKK in Turkey provide sufficient protection in data collection processes.

At the end of her speech, she emphasized that human touch is still very valuable in a field that feeds on creativity such as advertising: “Let’s not forget that we are the ones who produce intelligence.”

Yasemin Tekeli: “Artificial intelligence produces signs but not meaning”

Assoc. Prof. Yasemin Tekeli approached the subject of artificial intelligence from a more theoretical perspective, with a semiotic perspective. Tekeli, who emphasized that advertising is based on a story and a meaning, questioned how sufficient artificial intelligence is to produce this meaning.

“What we call creativity is built on three foundations: Interestingness, originality and impact. So can artificial intelligence provide these three?” she asked the audience. She stated that artificial intelligence feeds on patterns and algorithms, and therefore carries the risk of moving away from originality in advertising messages.

Tekeli explained how the most well-known AI and similar tools work in content production, by going through examples. He said that a text taken from AI may seem correct on the surface, but may lack cultural codes, target audience analysis and psychological effects in the background. He concluded his speech by saying, “It is easy to produce signs, but giving meaning to a text and establishing a connection with the target audience is still a human task.”

Utku Sobay: “AI writes, but cannot touch”

Kastamonu University graduate student Utku Sobay explained the opportunities and limitations offered by AI in advertising copywriting through his own experiences. He began his speech by saying, “Yes, AI finds us headlines, writes spots, and produces content. But we are still the ones who touch that text, live it and convey that emotion.”
Sobay stated that he uses AI but feels a deficiency every time. “Sometimes, even the placement of a comma in a text can change the emotion. Artificial intelligence may not know this,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence cannot contain any soul in its sentences, and therefore, artificial intelligence cannot offer a fully human perspective.

Sobay, who drew attention to the positive aspects of artificial intelligence such as producing a large number of alternative texts in a short time, providing multilingual content and cost advantage, said that human labor can be replaced by machine intelligence in terms of agencies.

He also brought up criticisms along with this picture: “The human touch is missing in the texts written by artificial intelligence. There are too many clichés and soulless sentences.” Emphasizing the importance of creative ideas, Sobay said, “Ideas never die. Artificial intelligence only works with our intelligence.” He also added that artificial intelligence systems that do not master local languages ​​and cultural codes have limits.

Sobay, who also touched on the question of “assistant or competitor?” in his speech, stated that artificial intelligence, rather than being a competitor to advertisers, can become a very powerful assistant when used well. “If we ask the right question, we will get a good answer from AI. But we have to produce the idea,” he said, concluding his speech with a sincere tone.

Banu Barış & Burçin Uysal: “Even the color of coffee changes with artificial intelligence”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Banu Barış and graduate student Burçin Uysal explained how artificial intelligence is used in advertising campaigns with concrete examples. The comparison they made on two different brands, Starbucks and Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi, drew attention.

Sharing the details of the color palettes, slogans and visuals created with artificial intelligence in Starbucks’ digital campaigns, Uysal said, “Even the color of coffee can change according to the target audience of a brand. If artificial intelligence knows who you are addressing, it can design everything on your behalf.”

Stating that traditional brands such as Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi have difficulty keeping up with this transformation, Barış said, “But this is not a threat, on the contrary, it is an opportunity. Artificial intelligence can give traditional brands a new spirit,” and offered both an academic and creative perspective.

According to Barış and Uysal, consumer culture is not only the consumption of objects, but also a lifestyle shaped by the search for pleasure. In this context, the expression “advertisements sell a feeling and a lifestyle” drew attention. It was observed that Starbucks stands out with artificial intelligence-supported methods such as mobile applications, product variety and personalization; Kuru Kahveci Mehmet Efendi, on the other hand, progressed in a more traditional, simple and culturally value-based line.

Academic Development Tracking with Bibliometric Analysis with Aslı Aslantaş Akçay’s Presentation

Res. Asst. Aslı Aslantaş Akçay added academic depth to the symposium with her bibliometric analysis study on the subject of “Artificial Intelligence in Advertising”. In her examination of the Web of Science database, she stated that China, the USA and the UK were the countries that published the most in this field.

Akçay also presented KitKat’s creative works prepared with the slogan “Have a break” as an example of advertising campaigns designed with artificial intelligence. She explained with visual materials how artificial intelligence can play a role in advertising slogan creation, visual design and target audience analysis.

Akçay concluded his presentation by stating that the contribution of artificial intelligence in advertising has now reached an undeniable level.

The Event Ended with Certificates of Appreciation

At the end of the symposium, certificates of appreciation were presented to the speakers by the Dean of the Faculty of Communication, Prof. Dr. Emre Tandırlı. The event ended with a group souvenir photo.