The CEO of Meta wants companies to send their advertising requests directly to its artificial intelligence tool, without going through traditional intermediaries.
Mark Zuckerberg’s vision is unequivocal. Questioned in a podcast in Stratecherry, last Thursday, the CEO of Meta spoke of several tracks “Trade opportunities” For its artificial intelligence, Llama, released in February 2023. For the creator of Facebook, “The most fundamental is to use AI to optimize the advertising sector” And save time to businesses.
According to the founder of Facebook, the AI would thus allow “To improve recommendations and to ensure that any business wishing to achieve a commercial objective can simply contact us, without having to produce content or to know its customers”. He cites the example of a possible request: “Here is the commercial result I want, here is what I am ready to pay, I connect you to my bank account and I will pay you any commercial objectives that you can achieve.” In other words, if companies question AI for their needs, it signs the death of advertising agencies.
-“A redefinition of advertising”
Mark Zuckerberg does not stop at this idea and even considers that “This stage, we are simply more able to find people likely to be interested in your product” than the companies themselves. The CEO of Meta does not exclude “The creative aspect”which, according to him, must come directly from the applicant. Exit, therefore, the intermediary of agencies. “I think it will be huge, I think it is a redefinition of advertising”he assures. Declarations badly received by certain sector specialists, interviewed by The Verge : “Let them create and optimize creations is frightening. No customers will rely on what they produce. ” For another, the group displays its customers “A certain condescension”which does not push companies to turn to Meta.
AI is particularly strategic for the future of the advertising sector. Already, in 2023, David Leclarbart, co-president of the association of Communication Consulting Agencies, said that a “New profession was starting to see the light of day: that of” prompt “, that is to say the employee in the company who will best interact with the machine to bring out qualitative content”. An advertiser then slipped to Figaro not “Have the choice to adapt to these technological developments”.
Last year, the CEO of Publicis Groupe, Arthur Sadoun, assured that “AI is at the center of all our connected media ecosystem: it helps us to strengthen our understanding on the profile and tastes of a consumer, and to personalize according to the message of an advertisement”. It remains to be seen whether companies will always call on advertising professionals or whether they will be used directly in the use of AI to minimize their budget costs.
