Ad agency’s Cannes Lions award withdrawn over improper use of AI

This follows the discovery that AI-generated and manipulated content was used within the case film to simulate real world events and campaign outcomes, resulting in the jury being presented with inaccurate information during their deliberations. 

According to a statement released by the awards festival organisers, this breaches the Cannes Lions entry rules on factual representation, and undermines the trust placed in the work by its juries and the wider community. 

“Cannes Lions exists to celebrate creativity that is real, representative and responsible,” the statement says. 

“After a thorough investigation and review, conducted in consultation with the relevant parties and Cannes Lions’ independent auditors, we concluded that the only appropriate course of action was to mutually withdraw the entry from the festival, and therefore withdraw the Grand Prix and associated prizes.” 

In a related development reported by the advertising industry publication Adweek, DM9’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-President, Icaro Doria, has resigned from the agency and is said to have taken responsibility for the controversy. 

“The agency apologised and said it was introducing internal safeguards, including the creation of an AI Ethics Committee,” Adweek reported. 

DM9 produced the campaign, titled ‘Efficient Way to Pay’ for its client Consul Appliances. The agency subsequently chose to withdraw Cannes Lions award-winning campaigns for two other clients.  

“All parties acknowledge that the level of legitimacy does not meet the necessary standard. All prizes will be withdrawn as a result,” the Cannes Lions statement says. 

New measures to keep the awards ‘robust’ 

Looking ahead, Cannes Lions will introduce a series of enhanced measures to ensure that the awards remain robust in the era of synthetic content, media, and generative AI. These include: 

• Commitment. An enhanced Code of Conduct that must be signed by all participating organisations. 

• Transparency. Mandatory AI disclosure as part of the entry process, with non-disclosure constituting grounds for disqualification or withdrawal. 

• Detection. Content detection tools may be used to help identify manipulated case films and materials. 

• Adjudication. A dedicated review committee comprised of experts in AI, ethics, and content integrity. 

“These new and enhanced measures reinforce the festival’s commitment to honouring work that upholds the highest standards of truth, fairness, transparency, and creative excellence,” the Cannes Lions statement says. 

Comments the marketing industry website, Marketing Dive: “The news is a signal of the kinks yet to be worked out around the use of AI, despite some marketers’ excitement for the buzzy tech.”