The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has launched a free-to-access thought leadership platform to help ad agencies navigate developments in generative AI and deploy practical AI solutions for their businesses and clients.
Dubbed the IPAi Forum, the platform will share insights into how agencies are deploying AI today, offer guidance on pitfalls to avoid, and provide updates on developments in the pipeline from AI companies.
It will also provide training and legal guidance on AI use and skill development, as well as regulatory considerations, and feature interviews from leading practitioners working with AI tools.
A spokesperson for the IPA said that the Forum is “designed to hold two truths at once: that technology is often overestimated in the short term and underestimated in the long term”.
The Forum, which operates akin to a digital magazine, will be updated periodically, though the IPA declined to commit to a release date for subsequent issues.
The first issue, titled AI as a creative collaborator — From hype to hands-on, is live. It includes a look at AI trends beyond large-language models (LLMs), as well as advice on how agencies should respond to public backlash against AI use in creative and the negative perception of AI in general.
It also features a practical glossary of AI terms, a due diligence framework for ad agencies, and interviews with agency leaders on how they are deploying AI. These include VCCP, Gravity Road, BBH, and Ogilvy.
Commenting on the Forum, IPA president Karen Martin expressed her optimism that AI has “injected fresh energy into our industry” by “accelerating experimentation, expanding creative ambition and unlocking new possibilities”. She added that AI is at its most powerful when it “acts as a partner to human creativity” by “amplifying our judgement, care and perspective”.
Director general, Paul Bainsfair added: “IPAi Forum is based on the maxim that all of us are smarter than any one of us.
“By sharing the many different ways our industry is already using AI, we hope to provide something valuable for everyone, whatever stage they are at on their AI journey.”
