When training data is similar across major large language models, finding ways to make them more creative and more differentiated is increasingly important. That reality has more enterprise customers asking for ways to make AI more creative when generating content — and to help with the actual process of thinking creatively.

Last month, the AI startup Writer released a new LLM called Palmyra Creative that aims to help enterprise businesses squeeze more creativity out of generative AI. The goal isn’t just to help with outputs; it’s also to help companies using AI in more creative ways. Palmyra Creative follows other domain-specific LLM released from Writer such as the the healthcare-focused Palmyra Med and the finance-focused Palmyra Fin. (Writer’s customers using various models include Qualcomm, Vanguard, Salesforce, Kenvue, Uber and Dropbox.)

In terms of creative thinking, AI models overall already have evolved quite a bit over the past few years. Some experts have found LLMs to be more creative than humans in areas like divergent thinking. Last year, researchers at the University of Arkansas published a paper exploring how OpenAI’s GPT-4 model is able to generate multiple creative ideas, find varied solutions to problems, and explore various angles. However, current LLMs still are largely limited to their own knowledge via training data — rather than lived experiences or learned lessons like humans are able to tap into.

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Tech giants and startups alike have spent the past year building new generative AI tools for users and advertisers.

From AI images for programmatic ads to a growing number of AI-generated TV commercials, brands are starting to explore new ways of thinking about creative across various platforms. The final weeks of 2024 had big news with expanded access and improved outputs of generative models like OpenAI’s Sora, Amazon’s Nova and Google’s Veo.

Despite the technical feats, AI-generated content has gained both eager devotees and harsh critics. Depending who you ask, the category’s a powerful new form of creativity, underwhelming “AI slop,” or an IP-stealing job-killer. However, the question is, which of these viewpoints will be the one to stick.

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In 2024, generative AI proved itself to be far more than just a buzzword. From the flurry of AI-powered gadgets to the potential regulations, the second year of a massive innovation race advanced alongside scrutiny, with questions about transparency, copyright, and ethical use.

As a follow-up to last year’s AI timeline for 2023, our recap for 2024 highlights some of the most important headlines with a sampling from every month of the year.

January

The year started off with a bevvy of AI-related announcements at CES 2024, where major tech companies and consumer brands touted new tech: AI chips for laptops and phones, smart TVs, voice assistants for cars, AI-enabled beauty products, and retailer activations. A few weeks later, AI took over NRF 2024 with nearly two dozen exhibitors touting AI.

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The influx of AI agents is quickly creating new ways to autonomously browse the internet and shop online. However, the feature also poses potential challenges for publishers, advertisers, and e-commerce companies — including new problems with how to deal with bot traffic.

Last week, Google debuted a range of new features as part of its release of Gemini 2.0, including a preview of a new agent called Project Mariner that offers to help people with everything from researching and booking trips to shopping for a range of other products.

One demo developed in collaboration with Etsy showed Project Mariner helping to research and buy paint supplies based on the kind of art someone would want to create. Google also pointed out it wouldn’t purchase products without first getting human approval and that it can’t autonomously browse in the background. Although Mariner was designed as a Chrome browser feature, that could change depending on the outcome of its search antitrust trial. 

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There’s been a lot of speculation about Acxiom’s potential role in Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG, but an ongoing lawsuit could end up a wildcard, depending on its outcome.

In a case against IPG’s data warehouse Acxiom and performance marketing agency Kinesso, legal filings in recent weeks give a timely glimpse into allegations of the IPG companies allegedly misusing data to build their Real ID identity-resolution product. The lawsuit, filed in April by data firm Adstra, claims Kinesso and Acxiom breached a master data-supply agreement and used Adstra data to create a competing product. It also puts Acxiom’s offerings under a legal microscope, which could reveal strengths and weaknesses not spun by corporate statements or marketing materials.

The case has the potential to shape where Acxiom and Kinesso fit into IPG and Omnicom’s plans to bolster their combined adtech stack with new options for alternative IDs. Acxiom’s identity-resolution products are seen as a cornerstone of IPG’s data strategy that could help it compete with WPP and Publicis. However, a court ruling in favor of Adstra could bring potential financial, operational, and reputational risks.

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Omnicom’s plan to acquire Interpublic Group is a long way from being finalized. However, the combined company could help the holding companies make  — and benefit from — larger AI investments. 

On a Monday call with investors about the deal, executives from both companies mentioned ways the merged company could benefit from combining resources. Omnicom CEO John Wren said businesses need to continue investments to “stay on the cutting edge” adding both clients – and agency employees – will benefit from investing more into AI efforts.

“If Interpublic was three quarters of our size, yesterday I had $1 to invest in those efforts, now I have $1.67 to invest in those efforts,” Wren said. “It should make me more agile, it should make me take great investment risks in testing new technologies and platforms as they come along — all to benefit from better information, more accurate information, so our real knowledge workers and whatever craft they lie in are going to have the best tools to service those clients.”

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One of the most buzzy bets in Las Vegas this week had nothing to do with poker or slots.

At the AWS Reinvent cloud conference in sin city, Amazon debuted a suite of six foundation models called Nova. The new models include a text-to-text model designed for speed, and three multimodal models that can understand and create text, images and videos.

Another model (Nova Canvas) was designed for generating studio-quality images and while a six model (Nova Reel) specializes in studio-quality videos.

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New lawsuits and deeper partnerships highlight the delicate balancing act between major publishers and AI companies.

Some of the first media companies to strike deals with OpenAI say they’re getting ready to release new AI-enabled features that aim to benefit readers, publishers and advertisers. One of the latest examples is Dotdash Meredith, which used AI to create a new way to target readers with contextual ads.

Using historical audience data and Amazon shopping data, the company trained a large language model to find correlations between content consumption and potential user behaviors. The new unit is expected to launch today with a major (undisclosed) retailer, Dotdash Meredith chief innovation officer Jonathan Roberts said yesterday while speaking at the AI Trailblazers marketing conference in New York. Other panelists included executives from Time, The New York Stock Exchange and The New York Times.

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