What is Generative AI, and why does it matter?
Generative AI (GenAI) refers to a category of artificial intelligence that generates new content by learning patterns and structures from existing data. Unlike many other types of Machine Learning and Deep Learning, which are often designed for specific tasks like classification or prediction, GenAI produces novel outputs that are distinct yet similar to its training data. These models are built using advanced neural network architectures such as transformer-based models like GPT for text and diffusion models for images, which represent the cutting edge of Generative AI today.
To illustrate how this works in practice, let’s imagine that you wanted to generate a larger variety of unique cat memes using Generative AI. You’d start by feeding all the cat memes you can find into your Generative AI model. However, the model wouldn’t just copy these memes or simply blend them together. Instead, it would learn and generalize the patterns that make a cat meme a cat meme, such as common phrases, image layouts, and types of humor. Then, using this understanding, it could create new, unique cat memes that capture the same playful style without recreating any existing memes.
Unlike previous AI systems built for one narrow purpose, Generative AI is versatile and can perform a variety of context-specific tasks. A good example of this is ChatGPT, which can help users complete many tasks like brainstorming ideas, drafting emails, formatting essays, and answering general knowledge questions by generating text that fits the given context.
This kind of flexibility opens up many possibilities, sparking rapid advancements and a sort of AI gold rush, as companies race to develop new Generative AI tools for diverse applications.
What can you use Generative AI tools for?
Generative AI tools have a wide range of uses, and their capabilities are expanding all the time. New training methods continue to make Generative AI more sophisticated, less error-prone, and more useful in a professional context. Uses include:
Text generation
Text generation is one of the most common GenAI applications. Models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 are able to generate human-like text based on input prompts. Text generation models can help users with proofreading, language translation, and content creation, or even act as a first point of contact in customer service or technical support.
Code generation
AI-assisted code generation has been useful for developers and non-developers alike. It’s now possible to ask AI tools to provide you with basic code, bug-fix code you have written, or even teach you how to build something yourself. Marketers can find this useful when they need to create or modify landing pages. Offloading small coding tasks and minor website adjustments to AI tools can free up development teams to focus on feature development.
Image generation
Another well-known use of AI models is image generation. There are a lot of Generative AI tools designed to generate realistic images in a variety of styles. Many of these tools are meant for fun, such as DeepArt, which lets you add artistic overlays to your photos. However, GenAI models can also be used to generate images for marketing campaigns. For example, an artist might use AI to quickly create mock-ups and then use those as the basis for the final product.
3D and spatial data generation
This is another type of image generation, where a Generative AI tool can develop advanced 3D models. This has numerous applications—for example, a small video game studio taking advantage of these tools could create far more 3D models than they could through human effort alone.
Audio and music generation
The ability to automatically generate voiceovers and music is one of the more exciting uses of Generative AI tools. Musicians can use GenAI to quickly generate demo tracks, which they can then refine and improve to create the final product. Marketers can quickly localize a voiceover into multiple languages without needing to juggle numerous voiceover artists, which can reduce the overall cost.
Video generation
Aside from audio and music, it’s also possible to generate entire videos with Generative AI. Early examples evoked the uncanny valley and were primarily used as memes or jokes, but AI videos have rapidly improved. The most effective use of these models today is AI video editing tools, which can do things like animate still images or replace the background in a video. AI tools also make it possible to manipulate existing videos, creating controversial video deepfakes.
Natural speech and conversation
The days of automated call center menus are (hopefully) numbered. Conversational AI models can be used to generate human-like verbal responses in real time. This technology has long been used in voice assistants, but can also be used as a first point of contact in a customer service environment, to help answer simple queries before handing off more complicated problems to a human agent.
Will Generative AI tools replace marketers?
It’s not likely that Generative AI tools will replace marketers, at least not entirely. A common theme running through all uses of Generative AI tools today is that they aren’t independent. You could have ChatGPT write all your articles, but without the human touch, they probably won’t read well.
Therefore, it’s better to view Generative artificial intelligence as just another tool in our belt or an extra-efficient personal assistant. It can help us to do more by taking over simple, repetitive tasks. Ignoring GenAI tools out of fear means we risk falling behind. Overusing them in inappropriate ways will make them less effective. The marketers who can use these new tools effectively will gain a valuable set of skills.
What are the top Generative AI tools for marketers?
Now we get to the fun stuff, our list of the top Generative AI tools for marketers. We’ve made sure to cover a variety of use cases, and we will focus on a wide range of tools from different companies.
#1 ChatGPT and Custom GPTs: On-brand content creation every time
Speaking of content, ChatGPT is many marketers’ first experience with a Generative AI tool. It’s a powerful content generator, and with the right prompts, it can easily streamline your content pipeline. However, many users soon realize that finding the right prompts isn’t easy, and unless your whole team is working with the same prompting, you may not be producing consistent content.
This is where custom GPTs come in. These are specially tailored versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT designed to fulfill a specific purpose. For example, a custom GPT for brand guidelines can be tailored to generate marketing content that aligns with a company’s brand voice, style, and messaging, ensuring all content adheres to pre-defined brand standards. This can include templates, style guide integration, and outputs adjusted to specific audience segments.
How to create a custom GPT with OpenAI:
Step one: Go to https://chatgpt.com/gpts/editor (or select your name and then “My GPTs”) and select Create a GPT.
Step two: Send a message to the GPT builder explaining what you want the GPT to do. This prompt will act as a sort of universal command for the new GPT.
Step three: Once you’ve made your GPT, you can go to the configure tab and select the capabilities of the GPT, such as Web Search, Code Interpreter, or DALL·E Image Generation. Based on your prompting the GPT builder will have created more detailed parameters for the GPT as well as a name and profile picture. You can also adjust these in the GPTs “Configure” tab.
Step four: If you have specific reference materials, you can upload them in the “Knowledge” section of the “Configure” tab to give your GPT additional context. This helps it provide more accurate and relevant responses based on your data. Supported formats include PDFs and text files.
Step five: Press publish. You can now use your new GPT whenever you like.
It’s important to note that any data you upload to your GPT should not include sensitive pieces of company information. Any time you give information to a GPT, it is able to use and repeat that information, which could breach company data protection guidelines.
Once you have your own custom GPT, you can implement it into your workflow and use plugins to directly integrate it into tools you’re already using, where available. Custom GPTs have many use cases for marketers. For example, a freelancer might be able to produce more content while maintaining brand consistency for multiple clients. Companies can make it easier for their in-house marketing team to produce consistent content and focus on building better strategies. You can also integrate your custom GPT with other tools, like Surfer SEO, for further optimization.
Alternatives for ChatGPT include:
Claude (by Anthropic)—a conversational AI with a focus on safety, reasoning, and context retention. While it doesn't offer user-created "custom GPTs," Anthropic provides different versions of Claude with varying capabilities.
Mistral’s AI Assistants—Mistral offers powerful open-weight AI models that can be fine-tuned and deployed for custom use cases, often used via API for tailored AI applications.
Perplexity AI—a research-focused AI chatbot that combines conversational responses with real-time web search. While it doesn’t have a custom GPT builder, it offers advanced customization options for business and research users.
If you want a true custom GPT, the best approach is to use open-source models, like Llama 3 by Meta. However, this approach requires more technical setup, so it may not be a good fit for all companies.
#2 Midjourney: Image Generation
The next entry on our list of GenAI tools is Midjourney, developed by an independent research lab of the same name. This tool generates images from human prompts. For example, you might ask for an image of a beach at sunset with a cruise ship in the background, which you can then use as a starting point for creating product-focused ads.
While Midjourney can’t replace a skilled graphic designer, it serves as an incredible productivity tool for marketers. For example, if you’re trying to brainstorm ideas for a new project, you can use Midjourney for inspiration before writing your own artistic brief that a real human can then use to design their own unique work.
Alternatives to Midjourney include:
DALL·E 3 (by OpenAI)—a powerful AI image generator that creates highly detailed and realistic images based on text prompts, offering strong creative flexibility.
Stable Diffusion (by Stability AI)—an open-source Generative AI model that allows users to generate and refine images locally or via cloud-based tools, offering deep customization and control.
Leonardo.Ai—a user-friendly AI image generator built on diffusion models, with a focus on high-quality concept art, game assets, and digital illustrations, often used by designers and creatives.
#3 Lumen5: Video creation made simple
Creating a new video is often a highly involved process. Lumen5 is designed to make this process a little easier, with a user-friendly Generative AI tool designed to convert text-based content into engaging videos. It’s even possible to create professional-quality videos without prior video editing experience.
For example, you could take a blog post, and Lumen5 will identify key points and match them with compelling videos. It can even generate a storyboard that you could pass on to a video editor to produce the final product. In addition to AI-generated content, it also has a library of stock photos, videos, and music tracks that marketers can use, making video advertising easier than ever.
Despite its capabilities, you shouldn’t expect Lumen5 to be a complete replacement for a skilled video editor. It is a fairly simple tool, and won’t be able to produce the complicated effects and transitions that an experienced human editor could.
Alternatives to Lumen5 include:
Sora AI (by OpenAI)—a cutting-edge AI model that can generate high-quality, realistic video content from text descriptions, offering greater flexibility in storytelling and animation.
Runway ML—a creative AI platform offering text-to-video and other Generative AI tools, ideal for video editing, visual effects, and AI-assisted filmmaking.
Synthesia—a platform specializing in AI-generated video with lifelike avatars and voiceovers, commonly used for corporate training, marketing, and e-learning.
#4 ElevenLabs: Text-to-speech and AI voice generation
ElevenLabs is a Generative AI platform specializing in text-to-speech (TTS) and voice synthesis. The product is designed to develop high-quality, human-like speech in 32 languages. People can use it to alter their voice, generate sound effects, or narrate written text. ElevenLabs’ GenAI models focus on natural intonation, emotional expression, and adaptability to different contexts. This has made them one of the leading players in the AI voice synthesis space.
Their tool can be used to provide videos in multiple languages, create voiceovers for video games, or add affordable sound effects to a YouTube video. This makes it very useful for content creators on a budget or for marketing teams who need to quickly localize an ad in multiple regions.
Alternatives to ElevenLabs include:
DeepGram—a platform that specializes in AI-generated speech and voice recognition. While it’s known for ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition), it also provides text-to-speech (TTS) solutions with high-quality AI voices.
Play.ht—a company that offers AI-generated voices for audiobooks, podcasts, and voiceovers, with an emphasis on realistic speech and customization.
Replica Studios—a product that focuses on AI voice acting, particularly for gaming and interactive media, providing realistic AI-generated performances.
#5 Jasper: Marketing Campaign Creation
Jasper is an AI-powered writing assistant designed primarily for marketing, content creation, and copywriting. It helps generate blog posts, ad copy, and social media content. Jasper offers templates, brand voice customization, and AI-driven suggestions to enhance content quality and maintain consistency.
The product is specifically designed for marketers. It provides features like advanced brand control and can be used for a variety of different types of marketing. For example, product marketers can use it to automate product descriptions, or brand specialists can implement consistent brand guidelines through Jasper.
Alternatives to Jasper include:
Copy.ai—user-friendly AI writing tool focused on marketing copy, social media posts, and blog content. It has a free plan and offers templates for different writing needs.
Writesonic—a versatile AI writing assistant that generates blog posts, product descriptions, and even AI-driven landing pages. It includes SEO-focused features.
Rytr—an AI writing tool with a simple interface and support for multiple languages, making it great for startups and small businesses.
#6 Pecan AI: Data analytics for marketers
Moving on from content generation, let’s take a look at another key aspect of marketing—data analytics. Pecan AI is a predictive analytics tool designed to make it easier to use Machine Learning for data analysis, without needing deep technical expertise.
The big feature is no-code predictive modelling. This makes it possible to create a predictive model without needing a background in data science or coding. This enables the marketing team to access advanced analytics without needing to use the development team’s resources to do so.
Pecan has recently introduced a module that is supported by Generative AI and can be used to optimize marketing strategies. This feature takes Pecan AI’s predictive AI to the next level. Generative AI improves prediction accuracy and increases the tool’s value to any company without the capacity to build its own in-house predictive analytics solutions.
Alternatives to PecanAI include:
Obviously AI—a no-code AI platform that helps businesses to build machine learning models and make data-driven predictions without technical expertise.
Yseop—an AI-powered natural language generation (NLG) tool that automates data-driven report writing, particularly in finance and pharmaceuticals.
Akkio—a no-code AI platform focused on predictive analytics and business intelligence, making it easy for teams to build AI models without coding experience.
#7 IntentGPT: GenAI-powered enhancement of performance marketing
Another GenAI-powered tool is IntentGPT, a cutting-edge component of RTB House’s Deep Learning stack. Unlike other Generative AI tools that marketers can use directly, IntentGPT operates behind the scenes—enhancing RTB House’s retargeting and engagement campaigns with hyper-precise contextual targeting.
At its core, IntentGPT leverages advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze web content and identify real user intent. It distinguishes between content that signals genuine interest in specific products and other types of content (e.g., entertainment or general browsing). This allows RTB House to serve ads only in the most contextually relevant placements, ensuring higher engagement and traffic quality.
For engagement campaigns, IntentGPT enables unparalleled contextual precision, reaching new users based on in-market signals rather than broad, category-based targeting. In retargeting, it adds another layer of intelligence to RTB House’s 100% Deep Learning-powered engine, enriching it with valuable contextual signals to refine ad placement further.
By integrating IntentGPT, RTB House continues to lead innovation in privacy-friendly, future-proof advertising, ensuring that brands can connect with highly engaged audiences in the most meaningful way.
Learn more about Generative AI tools from the experts at RTB House
Our team already uses Deep Learning across all of our services, and we are actively developing Generative AI solutions that will be useful to marketers everywhere. We believe in the power of Deep Learning to create exceptional results and measurable impact for online campaigns. We also believe that by developing new, ethical, Generative AI tools, we are setting a strong standard for the industry.
If you’d like to learn more about how your company can best use Generative AI with RTB House, contact us today.
