Dentsu Inc. in the Generative AI Era. The Most Critical Skill is "The Power to Move Hearts."

"dentsu prototyping hub" is a workshop series hosted by Dentsu Inc.'s creative technologists.

Having previously held study sessions on various digital creative tools like TouchDesigner, Blender, and Unreal Engine, the fifth session finally tackles "Generative AI."

This four-part workshop series features Professor Akihiko Shirai from Digital Hollywood University Graduate School / AICU Inc. as the instructor, challenging participants from the fundamentals to applications of image generation.

However, preceding the workshop, Takuya Kodama, who oversees AI-related businesses for the Dentsu Group, gave a lecture on the first day of the school titled "How Does Dentsu Inc. Approach Generative AI?" As an introduction, we present a digest of Mr. Kodama's speech.
(dentsu prototyping hub, Ryunosuke Ono)

※This article is edited based on the speech given by Takuya Kodama to participants during DAY1 of the dentsu prototyping hub "Generative AI School".

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<TABLE of Contents>
▼A world without generative AI is no longer an option

▼Dentsu Inc. is already at the forefront of generative AI adoption

▼Human skills that "move people's hearts" are increasingly vital

▼Instead, let's use generative AI as a tool to challenge new creative frontiers

A world without generative AI is no longer an option.

It's been about seven years since I started AI R&D at Dentsu Inc. I'd like to share what we've learned about our current position and how each individual should approach using generative AI.

I'd like to introduce the Dentsu Group's generative AI initiatives, but first, let's clarify the impact generative AI's emergence is having on us. In short, generative AI is radically reshaping the player landscape in the marketing domain.

Agencies both domestically and internationally, as well as consulting firms, are investing in technology and entering the marketing space. Furthermore, startups with various technologies, big tech companies, and even client companies themselves are beginning proactive initiatives using technologies like generative AI.

Many of the players mentioned above are already seriously engaging with generative AI. For example, Microsoft offers banner ad generation tools, and tools for package design and ad design are also increasing. Adobe Firefly can create various creative assets. Cases of using virtual humans in ads without involving ad agencies are also rapidly increasing.

This leads some companies to question whether outsourcing advertising and marketing is even necessary anymore. The advancement of generative AI presents a prime opportunity to bring in-house marketing activities that were traditionally outsourced. This isn't some future scenario; it's happening right now.

So, the question is: how should we, as advertising agencies, approach generative AI in this environment?

We're no longer at the stage of "using generative AI to gain a competitive edge" or "creating new services with generative AI to generate revenue." Companies that fail to adapt and evolve in the age of generative AI will simply not survive.

Consider the world line where "we don't engage with generative AI" already gone.

The Dentsu Group is already at the forefront of generative AI adoption.

So, is the Dentsu Group late to the game? Absolutely not. The Group has a long history of AI adoption. For example, Dentsu Inc.'s AI copywriter, released in 2016, has undergone multiple upgrades and continues to evolve.

Related article:
It's AICO, the AI copywriter.

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Here, we introduce the teams and internal organizations within the Dentsu Group working on generative AI, along with the solutions they currently possess.

Dentsu Inc. and Dentsu Digital Inc. are also conducting joint research with the University of Tokyo AI Center, advancing a project called " Creative Intelligence." Dentsu Digital Inc. boasts a wealth of AI talent, including employees who have won gold medals in international AI competitions.

Additionally, DENTSU DATA ARTIST MONGOL is a development organization specializing in AI, staffed by numerous AI engineers. DENTSU SOKEN INC. houses the AI Transformation Center (AITC), a cross-company organization handling everything from AI product development to talent development. The SEPTENI CO.,LTD and Ignition Point also have AI teams and projects working on client assignments.

Furthermore, existing creative teams like Dentsu Lab Tokyo and Think & Craft actively utilize all cutting-edge technologies, including generative AI, to deliver solutions for numerous client projects.

Within the Dentsu Group alone, there are numerous such teams. Furthermore, to keep pace with external technologies, we hold weekly meetings dedicated specifically to generative AI. These sessions go beyond simply sharing trend information; we collaborate with teams from various countries, such as DENTSU DATA ARTIST MONGOL, to conduct hands-on research into new technologies.

Furthermore, the Dentsu Group collaborates globally with major platform providers like Microsoft, Google, and AWS. By integrating cutting-edge technology with Dentsu Inc.'s strengths—its "problem-understanding capability" and "implementation capability"—we provide unique solutions and advance AI utilization tailored to client challenges. For standard company tools, rather than developing our own, we have adopted Microsoft Copilot as the standard environment for all employees.

Let's look at some solutions and services the Dentsu Group actually provides.

■∞AI Series

Currently, the most well-known AI solution within the Dentsu Group is Dentsu Digital Inc.'s ∞AI (Mugen AI) Series. Here are three solutions:

① ∞AI Ads

Released in late 2022 and already widely adopted, ∞AI Ads is a one-stop solution for digital advertising powered by generative AI.

It continuously improves digital ad creatives and maximizes their effectiveness through four AI engines: "Appeal Axis Discovery AI," "Automatic CR Generation AI," "Effect Prediction AI," and "Improvement Suggestion AI."

Related Article:
Four AI engines continuously refine digital ad creatives to infinity!
*The "∞AI" mentioned in the above article corresponds to the current "∞AI Ads".

② "∞AI Chat" (Mugen AI Chat)

With "∞AI Chat," anyone can easily create a chatbot simply by specifying its "purpose" and "conversation style" in Japanese. This chatbot can be connected to various UIs, such as product websites or LINE.

Furthermore, by feeding it files in formats like PDF, CSV (Excel, etc.), or PPTX (PowerPoint, etc.), you can make it speak based on the content within those files. For example, by feeding it a client's product catalog, you can even have it respond to questions like "Please answer Q&A about this catalog."

③ "∞AI Contents"

We provide content that enhances user engagement using AI. One solution is the next-generation AI owned media platform " Owned Human." It realizes next-generation owned media through real-time voice conversations with customers using virtual humans and characters.

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※ The "∞AI" series also newly offers "∞AI Chat for Sales," a solution for sales representatives. For details, please visit the ∞AI page.

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AI solutions are also available in the business development domain.

■ "AIQQQ STUDIO"

News Release

This is a consulting-style solution that develops new businesses through AI × Creative. It is primarily developed by Dentsu Inc.'s Business Transformation Creative Center.

For example, it's possible to have AI act as a persona to interview stakeholders about the importance of a new business. The key point is the deep commitment of human designers. This applies to Dentsu Inc.'s AI solutions overall: they enable rapid prototyping that neither humans alone nor AI alone can achieve.

The examples mentioned here are just a few; Dentsu Group companies offer numerous other generative AI solutions. Naturally, there are also many client cases. We are rapidly bringing advertising creatives, primarily using image-generating AI, to market alongside our clients.

Beyond advertising, we've also integrated chatbots developed with "∞AI Chat" into search services for golf courses and practice facilities, enabling them to interact with users in a concierge-like manner.

I've gone on at length, but my point boils down to one thing: "The Dentsu Group is putting in serious effort, so let's keep pushing forward."

Human skills that "move people's hearts" are becoming increasingly important.

Next, let's discuss how we should change in the era of generative AI.

Using generative AI in business will become increasingly commonplace. Simply put, if you just use existing AI services, anyone can do the same thing.

What's crucial, I believe, is "customizing generative AI to suit your own needs and leveraging it to the fullest. "

It's about cultivating and mastering your own personal AI assistant or agent—your very own "familiar," so to speak. Some of you may already be using MyGPT (GPT Builder*).

*MyGPT = A service provided by OpenAI. It allows individual users to customize and create their own ChatGPT. Formerly known as "ChatGPTs."

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In a creative workflow, this means giving precise instructions to your AI assistant—essentially a clone you've nurtured—to generate a large volume of output, then selecting the best from that batch. It's pure creative direction. You could say we're entering an era where everyone is a creative director.

In such an era, what crucial skills should humans possess? Writing effective prompts or understanding generative AI to master cutting-edge technology are important, but even more vital will be the more human skill of understanding "what moves people's hearts."

Generative AI excels at massive, high-speed output. It can generate 200 or 300 images of "cars driving along a seaside town" in a short time. But determining which of those 200 images will resonate most deeply with car enthusiasts? That judgment still lies with humans.

I believe that possessing "irrational intuition" – things like untranslatable gut feelings, experience, a sense of atmosphere, and future predictions – will become relatively much more important going forward. It's about customizing AI, using different tools for different tasks, and "making it generate effectively." Then, humans take those outputs and use them to "create even better results." It's a vision where humans and generative AI mutually elevate each other.

During a recent conversation with Takayuki Fukatsu of THE GUILD, one phrase stood out: "From now on, the ability to take action will be crucial."

Until now, creating outputs like illustrations, manga, videos, novels, or programming required specialized skills. But generative AI is lowering the barrier to creation. Even creating a commercial storyboard will become incredibly easy.

In an era where the barrier to "creating" has lowered, only those who take action will stand out. This trend will only accelerate further.

What becomes crucial for humans, especially creators, is having a strong desire to create something and then seeing it through to the end.

Until now, it was still less costly for skilled individuals to become experts in a domain than for domain experts to acquire skills. Skilled people were the ones creating everything—things they loved and things they didn't. In other words, skill held the greatest value.

However, the advent of generative AI has made it possible to generate output without advanced skills. Consequently, the act of "selecting" from the vast output produced by AI becomes something best done by those who are passionate about that domain. We may enter an era where car enthusiasts create car ads, and anime experts create anime ads.

In the generative AI era, the value lies in that "passion" which AI lacks. Thinking this way, even as generative AI evolves, far from making humans unnecessary, the strength of Dentsu Inc. Creative's approach—cultivated over more than 100 years—to move people's hearts becomes increasingly important. I strongly encourage you to embrace the idea of humans and AI mutually elevating each other.

Instead, let's use generative AI as a tool to challenge ourselves with new creative approaches.

Finally, regarding risks and governance when using generative AI, I'll share some fundamental perspectives.

A common concern is whether using generative AI is risky. As mentioned earlier, there is no longer a world where we can avoid generative AI. Of course, risks exist, and it's impossible to eliminate them entirely.

The key is to operate under the premise that "risks are inevitable," carefully and meticulously building multiple layers of safety nets for each specific case. This is precisely how Dentsu Inc. has approached and implemented generative AI initiatives to date.

Take concerns like "Couldn't this potentially infringe on copyright?" That risk exists whether the content is created by AI or by humans. The rules don't change just because it's generative AI. It doesn't mean "It's AI, so it's okay," nor does it mean "It's AI, so anything goes."

Generative AI must adhere to the same fundamental principles: complying with all laws and tool terms of service, and resolving rights issues. And of course, "legally permissible" does not equate to "permissible to do anything." Actions violating ethics should not be undertaken, even if legal. This principle applies regardless of whether generative AI is involved.

We must comply with laws and ethics, thoroughly discuss risks beforehand with all involved parties, including clients, reach consensus on potential issues, and then proceed with new challenges. Dentsu Japan operates comprehensive guidelines for generative AI usage and has established dedicated consultation channels.

To reiterate, the Dentsu Group is already at the forefront of generative AI adoption. We have accumulated extensive experience and have robust risk mitigation measures and safety nets firmly in place for generative AI usage.

Generative AI is not a threat to creators. Dentsu Inc.'s creativity, honed by engaging with the human heart, is precisely the skill needed in the generative AI era. Let us continue to embrace challenges moving forward.