As CIC’s associate dean for research, Linwan Wu is leading the college’s work to understand the influence and impact of artificial intelligence in advertising. Through the first two USC AI Index reports and those to come, he’s helping to evaluate national sentiment on the now-prevalent communications technology.
You began your education in China, then came to the United States. What drew you to the University of South Carolina?
The university's R1 status and strong commitment to scientific research were significant factors in my decision to come here. Also, the College of Information and Communications is comprised of two schools, which facilitates interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
How did you first become interested in advertising psychology and communication technology?
My interest in both began during my undergraduate and graduate studies. I believe that to deeply understand advertising and to explore its prosocial impact, we need to investigate the integration of psychology and communication technology. Doing so allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how advertising can influence consumers and what we should do to have it benefit society.
At what point did you also become interested in artificial intelligence?
It was about 6-7 years ago when discussions about AI began in the advertising field, which is always at the forefront of emerging technologies. A 2018 article in the Journal of Advertising Research discussed the implications of AI throughout the advertising process, and from that I realized AI’s huge potential to revolutionize the field. This sparked my interest and led me to explore the integration of AI in advertising further.
"Consumers' reactions to AI are complex and influenced by various factors. This complexity motivates me to continue exploring the factors that may make a difference, such as cultural values and generational differences."
Your recent research has sought consumer reactions to the integration of artificial intelligence in advertising and strategic communication. What motivated you to explore this, and what have you learned so far?
Existing studies have concentrated on the technology, with insufficient attention paid to consumers. Since consumers are the ultimate judges of advertisements, it is crucial to understand their responses so we can fully grasp AI’s impact.
Through my research, I have learned that consumers’ stereotypes of machines and robots, positive and negative, significantly influence their reactions to applications such as AI-created ads, AI-driven chatbots, and AI influencers. On one hand, people believe AI is more objective and accurate; on the other hand, they think AI cannot handle emotions and subjective tasks well.
I also have found that consumers' reactions to AI are complex and influenced by various factors. This complexity motivates me to continue exploring the factors that may make a difference, such as cultural values and generational differences. Understanding the nuances can support more effective AI-driven advertising strategies that resonate with consumers.
What do you think are the most important trends for people to understand about the interplay between advertising, technology and AI?
One of the most important is automation, which AI has significantly increased in two key areas: ad creation and ad placement.
Generative AI is being used widely to create a large volume of advertising messages in the digital environment. The technology allows for rapid production of diverse and engaging content tailored to different audiences and platforms.
Programmatic advertising leverages AI to achieve hyper-personalized delivery of messages. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can determine the most effective times, places and contexts to display ads to individual consumers, ensuring that the right message reaches the right person at the right time.
Both tasks — ad creation and ad placement — now require less human involvement, increasing efficiency while allowing for more precise and personalized advertising strategies.
You’ve also helped the College of Information and Communications issue the first university-led, representative U.S. survey of AI’s impact, resulting in two University of South Carolina AI Index reports. What have those revealed so far?
By comparing results of the two national surveys conducted six months apart, we found that public interest in AI tools is rising, while concerns about job security are declining. There is still low public awareness of the ethical challenges brought by the rapid development of AI but concerns about its potential to amplify misinformation and disinformation remain strong.
The full reports provide a holistic picture of what we found, as well as detailed results and insights on the American public’s perceptions of AI.
What impact do you hope those reports will have?
First, we aim to help policymakers and researchers develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of AI, enabling them to make informed decisions and create effective policies that address its complexities and challenges.
We also hope to increase public awareness of the challenges AI brings to our society, fostering a more informed and engaged public that is better equipped to navigate the evolving landscape.
Our findings also underscore the need for ethical and regulatory frameworks in the AI realm. By emphasizing this need, we aim to encourage the development of guidelines and regulations that ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.