In efforts to keep pace with the inexorable rise of AI, advertising agencies are pulling out all the stops. 

Holding companies such as WPP, Havas and Publicis Groupe have pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the technology in the coming years, with some even building proprietary systems. Major partnerships are a big focus, too.

Read: Inside DDB’s AI tools and how creatives are using them

There are plenty of publicly accessible AI tools—beyond usual suspects such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, Copilot and Gemini—that can help agencies, too. Below, Ad Age compiled a list of nine AI tools that shops are experimenting with, including a video explaining how each one works.

ElevenLabs

Multiple agencies told Ad Age they have worked with ElevenLabs, a startup developing AI-powered tools to create and alter synthetic voices.

ElevenLabs offers text-to-speech, text-to-SFX, dubbing features and more. Interpublic Group of Cos.’ The Martin Agency is using the company’s voice cloning tool (video below) to help with its presentations during pitches.

Ideogram

Ideogram, a company focused on developing AI image generation technology, serves as a competitor to popular program Midjourney.

Independent creative agency Something Different has been exploring Ideogram’s ability to render text into AI-generated images with “greater accuracy,” said Creative Director Arturo Gigante.

Polycam

The Martin Agency has been experimenting with 3D scanning app Polycam’s gaussian splatting feature, which is designed to create lifelike, natural-looking 3D scenes and subjects.

Runway

Runway, which is building generative AI focused on image and video, is another popular choice for agencies, Mirren Business Development Managing Director Brent Hodgins shared during the Ad Age Small Agency Conference. 

Stagwell’s Code and Theory is using Runway’s tools for stock video creation, helping expedite the production process, said Chief Technology Officer Dave DiCamillo.

Runway debuted its Gen-3 Alpha model (video below) earlier this summer.

Suno

BarkleyOKRP shared that it is using Suno, an AI music generator, to “inspire” new ideas. A few months ago, the independent agency used the tool to create a 30-track digital album about Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits, which BarkleyOKRP said has lots of “fan love” online.

Suno faces some pushback. Sony, Warner and Universal have accused the company and competitor Udio of using copyrighted sounds and songs to train the AI that fuels their businesses. In a court filing earlier this month, Suno responded to the allegations: "What the major record labels really don't want is competition."

Superhuman

Email management tool Superhuman is a popular service among agencies, Mirren’s Hodgins said.

Superhuman debuted a slew of AI features in 2023 and has made more updates in recent months, including an AI-powered Instant Reply feature. Superhuman claims to save people “over 10 million hours” every year, according to its website.

ThoughtSpot 

Acadia is using ThoughtSpot to “do big data analytics in real time,” said CEO Jared Belsky. ThoughtSpot replaces the need to use SQL, a programming language that helps process information in a database, Belsky said, thereby saving time and money. 

Topaz Labs

Topaz Labs, a photo and video enhancement software, is one of the key AI tools that has helped full-service marketing agency AMP “streamline workflows and reduce production timelines,” said Mike Menne, VP and head of production.

Waldo

Many shops are using the AI research assistant Waldo, which offers support on pitches, brand strategy, creative and more. Waldo has reduced McKinney’s “initial desk research by around 50% from a time perspective,” according to Anita Schillhorn van Veen, executive director, strategy at the agency. 

WPP, IPG, Havas, Omnicom and Accenture have used Waldo, according to the company’s website, which also lists brands including Uber, Walmart and Disney.