Artificial Intelligence has been the talk of the internet in recent months. It has been a hot topic for many years, but only recently has it really taken off as more widely-spread uses started emerging. While AI is a fascinating concept, what matters for us is its use in the digital signage world to elevate the industry.
Some of the main uses include data collection and real-time application. There are also various uses of AI for content generation. OpenAI and ChatGPT focus on text completion. DALL·E and Midjourney focus on image generation, for example. Let’s dive into the details!
Data collection
As an industry, digital signage is not unfamiliar with AI uses. For instance, the topic of facial recognition has been a controversial one due to privacy concerns. However, this is a well-known use of AI for the purposes of data collection. For digital signage operators, it’s invaluable to know how to find the target audience for their content. AI progressively finds new ways to provide this information with greater accuracy and success. Thus, apart from facial recognition and data collection through digital signage itself, AI offers new ways of collecting information in general. This in itself is highly useful for any business, not just one focused on digital signage.
Using collected data in real time
An astonishing use of AI is to carefully and precisely seek out information based on provided input. As we’ll discuss below, this is particularly impressive in the context of image generation. Meanwhile, in terms of audience data, an AI powered digital display could sift through large quantities of data and dig up content that would be ideal for the target audience looking at the display.
Programmatic advertising works in a similar way, selling advertising space to the highest bidder, then seeking out an audience for the specific ad in question. In terms of digital signage, this could result in more engaging content being shown at the right time. In this way, AI can collect and use the data it collected almost instantly.Â
AI generated imagery
As it grows more sophisticated each day, AI image generation continues taking the world by storm. It used to be fiction, but now you can quite literally transform a sentence into a highly sophisticated image. While results vary and might not always be as precise as you’d like, they are beyond impressive as they offer a path to producing visuals in minutes, or even seconds. It’s in fact so successful that many asked themselves if it’s possible to make a profit by selling these unique images.
In the context of digital signage, AI image generation may offer the potential to quickly build an eye-catching visual campaign. There would be no need to set up a custom photoshoot, to purchase individual image licenses, or even spend hours looking for the ideal image to use online. This ideal image could simply be generated to specific demands. For instance, the images above are AI-generated samples via the Midjourney bot.
AI could even generate and present images on its own by detecting the need for them at a given moment in time, perhaps when a user is interacting with a display. This could span from ads to simply enhancing the visual appeal of a display.Â
Data retrieval and presentationÂ
Combining image generation and a database of information, AI could find a purpose in various ways. A user could instruct the AI to use a large quantity of data and summarize it into a palatable format, such as a graph or a chart in seconds. This data could then appear at a business meeting or for the purpose of getting a better overview of the data available. On the other hand, businesses could also apply this data externally, to highlight key data and successes to consumers.
Adding interaction to the mix, consumers themselves could pull up any data they are interested in by simply telling the AI what interests them.
Sophisticated translation
Translation is quite important as it allows a business to significantly broaden its reach. Perhaps one of the most used pieces of AI in terms of translation is the Google Translate engine. At one point, it was known for quite literally translating words, resulting in some odd and at times humorous results. Today, Google Translate possesses AI elements which translate data while paying attention to its context. The massive database it built over the years certainly helps, but AI adds that extra layer of accuracy.
AI translation can be a valuable asset for digital signage as it can broaden its reach and allow users to access the data on it in any language they speak. Of course, this is primarily useful when it comes to interaction. Users can then navigate the display with high accuracy, without the worry that their language isn’t supported. This also eliminates the need to manually translate everything, which can truly be a daunting task.
Despite how long it’s been around, AI is still in its early stages and the world is continuously looking for a precise way to apply it on a daily basis. While it’s exciting to observe this growth, the future of AI comes with its own set of challenges. The results will only be as good as the input. In conclusion, it is inevitable it will become an integral part of the digital signage world. It is only a matter of time. What remains to be seen is how this will shape the creator industry.
Cover image by geralt.
