Applications of AI in Creative Execution of Advertisements: A Content Analysis of Indian advertisements on YouTube from 2021 to 2024

Over the years, Artificial Intelligence has evolved from being just a supporting tool to becoming a central part of how ads are created and delivered. Using AI technologies like machine learning, generative Artificial Intelligence, chatbots, and deepfake tools helps brands in creating personalized, engaging, and emotion-driven advertisements, especially for digital platforms like YouTube. Thus, it becomes pertinent to study how these technologies are being used and to what extent. Since these are the creative experiments that touch the emotions and buying instincts of the consumers, it is crucial to enquire about the ethical aspects of their emerging use in India. The researchers conducted a content analysis of 20 random video advertisements on YouTube that contain at least one AI element. The objectives include analysing the creative use of AI in advertisements in terms of their content, examining the emerging trends of AI usage in the advertising industry with reference to their way of presentation and discussing ethical aspects of use of AI in advertisements. Interviews with the industry professionals reveal the underlying factors of using AI and trends in this direction. The research highlights the issues of data privacy, misleading visuals, deepfakes and emotional manipulation. As advertising keeps changing with the help of AI, this research suggests finding a balance between using smart technology and keeping ads honest and creative. The findings may help brands in creating such advertisements which connect with the audience by using AI, while still maintaining their trust.