Berghs Unconference: AI with Hanna Vissgården and Erik Björkman
Is the job of a creator really under threat, and how do AI tools impact human interaction? In November, Berghs School of Communication hosted the Unconference, once again tackling the hot topic of AI. Hanna Vissgården and Erik Björkman from All Ears joined to share their insights and experiences.
By now, we’ve all seen AI-generated images and texts cluttering our social media feeds—many of them with a suspiciously mediocre quality. But the potential of AI goes far beyond generating digital art or clunky limericks.
“Efficiency - saving time - is probably the biggest advantage AI brings,” Hanna explains, adding:
“Having a digital colleague trained with insights and company data will be the norm in tomorrow’s marketing teams—and, honestly, we're already seeing it today.”
In the world of recruitment, it’s not too far-fetched to picture both recruiters and job seekers showing up to interviews as digital avatars. What once seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming reality.
“Finesse is simply not something generative artificial intelligence has mastered—yet.”
AI as a Creative Tool—The End of the Creator?
Despite fears that creative roles in marketing might soon become redundant, Erik reassures us there’s no need to panic.
“Even though people feel they can whip up marketing copy without expertise using tools like Bard or ChatGPT, it still takes a few rounds of adjustments before it’s usable. Ultimately, it’s human judgment that determines when a piece of copy is polished enough or when an image looks believable. Finesse is simply not something generative AI has mastered—yet.”
Erik adds that even though professionals will still be needed to ensure quality, the roles of creators and their audiences are beginning to shift:
“Historically, the creator made content for an audience at the receiving end. But with today’s AI tools, those boundaries are blurring. Now, the creator and the audience can essentially be the same person, crafting personalized experiences—on-demand 2.0.”
The pace of development is breakneck, and there are clear synergies between different AI services that boost each other, not least through user-generated data. Reflecting on the implications for All Ears, Hanna shares:
“A thought that struck me during a conversation with another participant was whether gestures while we speak—what we call ‘talking with our hands’—could add context or convey emotion in the future. Video, of course, is more than just audio, and what we see influences how we perceive what we hear. This could advance AI’s ability to interpret sound in richer ways.”
Spoken Dialogue as an Interface and AI as a Teaching Tool
Voice control was another theme discussed in AI development. The nature of our dialogue—how we interact with services like ChatGPT—affects how approachable AI feels. The more natural the dialogue, the lower the barrier to developing a relationship with a digital colleague, for instance. At All Ears, prompting has already been simplified, but with an AI that can make broader associations, voice interaction could be just around the corner, making the experience even smoother.
Generative AI has also shown its strength as a teaching tool. If you’ve ever tried asking, “Explain this to me like I’m five,” you know how useful it can be for simplifying complex topics. Google Notebook LM is another great example of learning with AI. It’s become popular among university students for generating realistic conversations in podcast format to discuss and explain data presented as text or video.
Your Best Buddy and Most Efficient Colleague
Hanna and Erik wrapped up their participation at Berghs Unconference by addressing what companies risk missing out on if they ignore AI or fail to adopt AI-based workflows.
“The short answer is: a lot. You’ll work slower than your competitors. Even if you think you’re on top of things, there will always be something you miss. The media landscape today is enormous, and we already rely on algorithms to sift through social media. With AI tools like All Ears, you’ll save time and more easily discern what’s truly relevant and what requires a human touch. With natural dialogue interfaces, you probably won’t even notice you’re talking to a machine.”
Hanna offers a final tip for AI newcomers: “If prompting takes longer than just doing the task yourself, shut it down and do it manually. Don’t overcomplicate things.”