January 28, 2025

Why Businesses Shouldn't Use AI for Their Brand

Why Businesses Shouldn't Use AI Characters, Art, Animation or Graphic Design for Their Brand?

As the capabilities of AI art and animation tools grow, businesses may be tempted to incorporate these technologies into their branding strategies. However, relying on AI-generated designs can backfire and harm your brand in the long run.

We have already seen that the backlash from the community has become quite relevant. Businesses that have used AI to promote their brand in one way or the other, has to now defend themselves from the community backlash. From the small business owners that is getting backlash that can potentially get them closed down, to big corporations that is losing customers of the hundreds. - Read on Lifewire what they have to say about the AI backlash.

Here’s why it is not a good idea to associate your brand with AI:

Image 1: The Willy Wonka disaster. In 2024 Ai generated art was created to sell the idea that there would be an unforgettable Willy Wonka experience, only to realize by visitors it was a complete scam. Willy Wonka, more like sad warehouse with limited candies and a drunk Oompa Loompa.

Perception of Being Uncaring or Cheap

Brands are built on trust, authenticity, and connection. Using AI-generated characters, art or visual ads can give the impression that your business prioritizes cost-saving over quality. It signals to your audience that you may not care enough to invest in custom designs or meaningful creative processes.

We are currently seeing the ramifications of businesses that are creating product images with AI, and it is resulting in their products not selling. People do not want to buy things that doesn't seem authentic.

Lack of Personal Connection

Authenticity resonates with audiences. When designs are crafted by human artists or designers, they come with a story, intention, and a unique touch that builds emotional connections. AI lacks this personal element, making it difficult for your audience to feel engaged or connected to your brand.

Inconsistency in Design for Future Use

One of the key challenges with AI is its inability to replicate designs consistently over time. If your brand relies on a specific character or visual identity, generating future content that aligns seamlessly with your original design can be challenging, leading to a disjointed brand image.

Imagine you have created a logo or some visual design, and you are asked by your boss to make changes to it? How are you going to do that? Only solution is to power up Photoshop and learn editing really quickly, you are going to sit for a hot minute.

Image 2: Queensland Symphony Orchestra wanted to level up their paid social posts. Save to say it didn't scream luxury. Viewers were more fixated on the fingers than buying tickets.

Ethical Concerns: AI Steals from Artists

Many AI tools are trained using existing artworks and designs without the consent of the original creators. This raises ethical questions about intellectual property and can tarnish your brand's reputation. Associating your business with such practices may alienate both your audience and professional artists, who value originality and fairness.

Intellectual property lawyers across the globe seems to have a better handle on this topic as well, and it is highly plausible that they can win cases against AI companies using the work of creators without their consent. I for one, do not want my business to be associated with that drama.

Besides the concerns of artworks being stolen. Businesses are adapting this idea that it will increase the workflow process of their employees, which they are actually just adding to their existing workload and overworking them. This topic have been researched by Upwork. Read Here

Commercial Use Restrictions

Most publicly available AI-generation platforms come with restrictive licenses, often prohibiting commercial use. Using such content without fully understanding these limitations can lead to legal complications, damaging your business’s credibility and financial stability.

What are the better alternatives: Collaborate with artists and designers

Investing in human-created designs shows that your business values creativity, authenticity, and originality. Working with skilled artists and designers ensures that your brand visuals are tailored specifically to your message and audience, fostering long-term loyalty and trust.

In a world driven by meaningful connections, your brand deserves more than a generic AI creation. Show your audience that you care—because it’s the human touch that makes all the difference.

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