In “If You Can Tell the Difference, There Is No Difference,” I argued that when AI-generated work is indistinguishable from human-made content, the distinction becomes irrelevant. Microsoft’s latest Surface commercial (created with the help of generative AI) puts that theory into practice.
According to Microsoft’s design team, much of the ad was generated using AI tools like Hailuo and Kling. Only the most dynamic scenes—like hands typing—were shot live. The rest? Generated. And no one noticed for three months. With a 90 per cent reduction in time and cost, the team delivered broadcast-quality content on a startup-like timeline.
This is where the line between required and inspired content becomes useful.
Required content for production or commercial work is functional. It’s created under pressure, to serve a defined purpose, on a tight schedule. It doesn’t need a muse; it needs execution — and with the right prompts, AI can now adequately execute required content.
Inspired content, on the other hand, is art. It stems from the human need to express emotion, unconstrained by deadlines or utility. It resists systematization. Right now, AI can play a role in inspired content creation, but many argue it is incapable of (fill in the blank with your own criticism of AI).
This argument is purely academic. There is a big difference between required and inspired content. And while it is a distinction with a difference, the economic realities of production budgets will always prevail. Microsoft inadvertently proved the point. Pay attention.
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P.S. I'm heading to POSSIBLE Miami next week. LMK if you're going to be there.
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
