The Unstereotype Alliance has called for the advertising industry to prioritise responsibility when harnessing the power of AI.

Almost a decade after the Unstereotype Alliance was brought together by UN Women, the organisation has set out its new strategic priorities at Cannes Lions. 

The organisation has used its platform at the festival to reveal that its next chapter will be focused on equipping the global advertising industry with practical skills to harness generative AI responsibly.

With this goal in mind it has created a playbook for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in advertising. 

The inclusive innovation opportunity

The playbook arrives at a moment of acute urgency for the industry. According to the Unstereotype Alliance, evidence shows that AI is exacerbating existing inequalities, while the current moves to build in measures to mitigate bias and discrimination are minimal and insufficient. 

A study of 133 AI systems found that 44% demonstrated gender bias and 26% demonstrated both gender and racial bias. However, only 51% of marketers currently use human oversight to test AI-generated creative before release.

Generative AI is now among the most widely used technologies in day-to-day marketing work, making the absence of structured guidance a significant and growing risk.

Collaboration for change 

Developed under the leadership of Unstereotype Alliance Vice Chair Mars, with Diageo, Dove, Kantar, Getty Images, Mastercard, Microsoft, Mondelez International, Revolt and Clever Together, The 3Cs: Skills for Inclusive AI is a practical, plug-and-play tool designed to be applied every time generative AI is used in the communications development process. This includes everything from research and insight generation through to campaign planning, creative ideation, asset creation, media buying and testing. 

The playbook focuses on three core pillars of action; curate, craft and control. It is designed to give marketers a simple, repeatable set of skills to address baked-in bias, build confidence in AI outputs and create richer, more inclusive work.

Responding to the AI challenge

The playbook has been developed with and for the Unstereotype Alliance's member network of over 240 organisations, which spans the world's leading advertisers, agencies, platforms and industry bodies. 

Recognising that bias in AI is an industry-wide challenge, the core framework has been open-sourced and made freely available to all. The full playbook, including case studies and member guidance, is available exclusively to Unstereotype Alliance members.

Elspeth I'Anson, Unstereotype Alliance Secretariat at UN Women, explained: “Cannes is where the industry comes to celebrate what advertising can be at its best. It is also the right moment to be honest about where the risks lie. Generative AI is reshaping how campaigns are planned, made and distributed, and the Alliance exists precisely to ensure that transformation serves inclusion rather than undermining it. We know from our members that practical, hands-on guidance is what moves the needle, and we are confident this framework will do exactly that. This is what the Alliance does best - bringing the industry together to build the tools that turn commitment into action."

The launch also marks a formal statement of strategic priorities for the Alliance, with AI and the creator economy identified as the two defining frontiers for inclusive advertising in the years ahead. 

The creator economy, where community, culture and commerce converge, represents a largely untapped opportunity for authentic, inclusive storytelling at scale. The Alliance will convene members, build evidence and develop tools across both areas as part of its new strategy.

Jacqui Stephenson, Global Responsible and Purpose Marketing Officer at Mars and Deputy Vice Chair of the Unstereotype Alliance, explained: "Generative AI is already shaping creative decisions about who gets seen, how they are portrayed and what stories get told at scale. That is why shared standards matter. Without a common framework, good intentions will not be enough. This guidance gives our member network something concrete to work with and a shared baseline that makes responsible practice achievable." 

Isabel Massey, Global Head of Media and Integrated Brand Experiences at Unilever and Deputy Vice Chair, Unstereotype Alliance, added: “We’re proud to contribute learnings from Dove’s Real Beauty Prompt Playbook, which has helped set new digital standards for representation and advance the responsible integration of artificial intelligence.”

Massey shared her believe that the creator economy is shaping culture at scale which in turn is creating  new opportunities to deliver authentic, relevant and credible content that builds desire responsibly.

Since its founding in 2017, the Unstereotype Alliance has successfully championed the creative and commercial firepower of inclusion.

The organisation’s landmark research with Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, which demonstrated that brands with more inclusive advertising practices generate 3.46% higher short-term sales and 16.26% higher longer-term sales. They are 62% more likely to be a consumer's first choice, command 54% higher pricing power and enjoy 15% higher loyalty.

The core 3Cs framework is available to all here. The full playbook, including member case studies and implementation guidance, is available exclusively to Unstereotype Alliance members.