VCU professor says new AI ad method can help save businesses time and money

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- While it can be difficult to develop advertisements that connect easily between bigger brands, small businesses and the average viewer, researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) method that can help improve their advertisement reach.

César Zamudio, Ph.D., associate professor in the VCU School of Business and a specialist in marketing analytics, said that visual stimuli -- like color and size -- show how consumers act and think.

He and co-authors Meg Michelsen, Ph.D., of Longwood University and Jamie L. Grigsby, Ph.D., of Missouri State University, published an article in the Journal of Advertising regarding iGenAI. This examined how generative AI makes for cheaper and quicker production of visual stimuli that trigger objects or elements in a viewer's brain.

“But for decades, researchers have struggled to create high-quality ad images for experiments – they either looked unprofessional or were too expensive to make," he said.

According to an announcement from VCU Public Relations on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, the authors said that RAISE is a way to generate AI stimuli, which, according to Zamudio, generates advertisement images fast, and this is reportedly better than the typical way brands create advertisements.

Zamudio and researchers conducted five studies -- which included nearly 1,800 participants -- who were exposed to RAISE and iGenAI and research-generated stimuli. The research showed that participants couldn't tell the methods apart, despite the more affordable and easier AI method, according to VCU.

"Instead of spending weeks and thousands of dollars on ad visuals, managers can use AI to generate high-quality drafts in minutes, allowing teams to focus on what truly matters — strategy, storytelling and brand-building,” Zamudio said.

Zamudio said that for small businesses, this new method can be done in minutes. He added, "This could lead to more relevant, personalized ads – ones that closely match their interests instead of feeling generic or intrusive.”

“How do we ensure AI-generated content remains transparent, fair and responsible?” Zamudio said. “I’m not just a researcher – I’m a consumer and a citizen, too. That’s why when we developed RAISE, we carefully considered these issues, proposing four AI safeguards – a structured approach to AI-generated ads that ensures we preserve the human element and uphold ethical standards as we move into an AI-driven advertising era.”