IPA and ISBA create principles for ethical AI use in advertising

The principles are designed to encourage ethical AI use and apply only to the creative process of producing advertising.

The principles include a requirement that AI is used responsibly and ethically and should not be used in a way that undermines public trust in advertising.

Advertisers and agencies should also consider the potential environmental impact of AI and make sure that their deployment of the technology is transparent.

ISBA and the IPA warned agencies to not use AI in ways likely to discriminate or show bias against individuals and should not undermine individuals’ rights or those of intellectual property rights holders.

AI’s impact on employment and talent must also be considered and due diligence should be undertaken on AI tools, as well as having appropriate human oversight and accountability.

Finally, the principles call for advertisers and agencies to be transparent with each other about their use of AI and commit to continual monitoring and evaluation of their use of the technology.

The publication of the 12 generative AI principles comes as the UK government hosts an AI Safety Summit between 1st and 2nd November.

Richard Lindsay, director of legal and public affairs at the IPA, said: “The use of AI has grown exponentially in all industries, bringing with it huge opportunities as well as a wealth of new legal, regulatory and ethical challenges that need to be understood and addressed.

“Generative AI will undoubtedly be transformative for our industry, but it is vital that it is used in an ethical, responsible, and legally compliant way.

“These principles, which we have worked on with our colleagues at ISBA, are designed to help agencies and advertisers navigate that process and continue to produce outstanding creative work while taking advantage of the remarkable new tools available to them.”

Rob Newman, director of Public Affairs at ISBA, added: “From individual brands to trade bodies, in sector after sector of the economy, people are scrambling to work out what the AI revolution means for them.

“In many ways, the jury is out. AI could help us create transformational marketing or it could exacerbate existing crises in trust and transparency which already plague the industry.

“We’re pleased to have made this start on laying down some guardrails so that AI doesn’t create new problems but contributes towards the trusted and responsible advertising environment that the public, regulators and lawmakers want to see.”