In “If You Can’t 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% 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.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.