Social media has always been a space for creativity and entertainment. Today, with the development of AI, it is increasingly becoming a platform for something entirely new: AI-generated content.

According to a global online search data and analytics company YouGova quarter of U.S. respondents in a survey were found to be interested in AI-generated content from artists and musicians. At the same time, 19% of social media users surveyed find AI-generated influencer content particularly engaging.

That’s why brands are exploring new ways to automate their marketing initiatives with AI capabilities.

For example, at the Data + AI Summit 2024, Databricks product manager Kasey Uhlenhuth shared a creative example of how franchise owners could use AI agents to analyze local customer data, create targeted campaigns, and develop sales strategies designed to attract their audience.

A perfect use case? This approach could, for example, help a large cookie brand with several franchises across the country improve sales at each location.

Imagine Instagram ads promoting their best-selling cookies, featuring AI-generated visuals and custom captions designed to grab the attention of cookie lovers. In this way, AI can optimize marketing efforts by creating campaigns that seem unique and relevant to each community, thereby boosting engagement and increasing sales.

Initially, Databricks offered franchisees a basic AI model. It worked well, but lacked the personal touch needed to meet the unique requirements of each business. By integrating Mosaic AI In their platform, Databricks has made the AI ​​agent more versatile and data-centric for each individual franchise, improving its effectiveness.

AI-based marketing tools are advancing rapidly. Oracle Eloqua Marketing Automationfor example, uses AI to simplify campaign design and coordination across all channels. Its intuitive interface allows teams to deliver consistent, on-brand messages while seamlessly helping customers throughout their journey to becoming leads.

IBM Watsonx.ai offers another powerful platform, a complete studio for creating and deploying AI solutions. Through a suite of APIs, tools and templates, it allows teams to quickly bring AI-powered ideas to life, such as generating social media content, blogs and more.

What if AI-powered content could thrive directly within platforms?

This is exactly what Meta is working towards. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, said during the third quarter earnings conference call that as AI tools become more prevalent, AI content will increase in social media. According to Zuckerberg, such streams are actively worked on within Meta.

“It’s something we’re starting to test different things on,” he added.

Zuckerberg also revealed that a whole new category of content would be added. This would include content generated or summarized by AI or existing content gathered in some way by AI.

“And I think that’s going to be very exciting for Facebook and Instagram and maybe Threads, or other types of feed experiences over time,” Zuckerberg said.

Zuckerberg highlighted Meta’s large Llama language model, the driving force behind some of the company’s most successful AI products. Among them is the Meta AI chatbot, which has quickly gained traction, engaging more than 500 million users per month.

Understanding the Algorithm Game

AI-powered algorithms are like invisible puppeteers that influence and shape what the audience sees as well as how they think and act on the digital platform.

Zuckerberg highlighted the evolution of content curation on Facebook and Instagram. Initially, these platforms prioritized a “connected” algorithm, showing users posts from their friends and family. Eventually this moved to an engagement-based algorithm, delivering content from creators and influencers around the world, personalized by analyzing countless “signals” from individual users.

Today, signs of the next phase of AI-driven content are emerging.

Facebook has become a testing ground for AI-generated content, informally called “AI slop.” Strange, often surreal images appear in feeds with the sole aim of going viral. These creatives aim to exploit Facebook’s creative program, which reportedly pays up to $10 for every 1,000 likes on a post, according to a report from 404 Media. The result is a mix of bizarre AI-designed visuals that capture attention, blurring the lines between digital creativity and pure algorithmic manipulation.

What’s next?

Social media users have varying opinions about discovering AI-generated content on social media platforms. Data from Statista suggests that 14% of small or medium business (SME) owners said they use AI for marketing and social media, while 36% said they would consider using AI for this purpose at future.

As marketers and influencers seek to amplify both creativity and efficiency, AI and social media are gradually proving to be a match made in tech heaven.