Goku AI for dummies: 101 on how marketers can revolutionise content creation

Another Chinese AI model is shaking up industry once more, this time it's Goku AI by TikTok parent company ByteDance. The AI model for image and video generation is expected to revolutionise digital content creation by making it easier for users to produce high-quality visuals with minimal effort. Thus far, its received mixed reactions across social platforms, with sentiments of conversations being 38% positive and 4.1% negative, according to media intelligence firm CARMA.

Many are already discussing the implications of increasingly sophisticated AI, particularly regarding its potential to create fake content, while some are mentioning Goku AI's potential disruption to the advertising and content creation industries by eliminating the need for influencers and expensive shoots. Keywords associated with Goku AI include 'realistic', 'human', 'advertising' and 'real'. 

Curious to find out more about how Goku AI can revolutionise content creation? Read on. 

Don't miss: Is AI really helping marketers, or is its inauthenticity scaring audiences away?

What is Goku AI? 

Goku AI is an AI-driven video creation framework designed to generate high-quality videos in real-time. It leverages deep learning techniques to transform images, text and motion signals into video content. 

With Goku AI, ByteDance aims to introduce innovative generative AI approach that enables the creation of lifelike human animations with advanced facial and motion modeling. This allows users to produce engaging video content without the need for traditional filming or editing processes. 

The model employs a multimodal AI architecture, integrating multiple input sources such as static images, pre-recorded videos, and even audio cues to generate fully synthesised human video outputs.

Meanwhile, unlike conventional video editing tools, Goku’s AI engine provides adaptive video generation, enabling customisation of video elements with high precision. Whether for entertainment, marketing or virtual avatars, Goku aims to redefine how AI-generated videos can be seamlessly integrated into various creative workflows.

Additionally, by combining efficiency with cutting-edge AI modeling, Goku offers a tool for content creators, businesses and developers seeking to push the boundaries of automated video production.

Can Goku AI take on Sora? 

Just a year ago, OpenAI unveiled Sora, its AI model that can create realistic and imaginative scenes simply with text instructions. With Sora, industry professionals can create realistic and complex videos all without leaving their seat. The text-to-video model can generate videos up to a minute long while maintaining visual quality and adherence to users' prompts. This includes generating complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of models and accurate details of the subject and background. 

So how do the two compare? Lierence Li, managing director of Market Hubs is of the opinion that Goku can compete with - and even outperform - other solutions such as Sora. "Considering that Sora is just one of many available tools, Goku AI opens up plenty of possibilities through its innovative generative approach. Its ability to create hyper-realistic human animations and adapt to various marketing scenarios provides content creators with more versatile choices," said Li. 

Conversely, Jacky Chan, CTO, Votee AI said that while Goku AI demonstrates a strong potential to compete with leading models such as Sora in the video generation space, "taking on" is still a strong statement given OpenAI's resources. "Goku AI is certainly positioned to be a powerful competitor. The benchmarks and technological foundations are promising. However, direct real-world usage and qualitative comparisons, particularly regarding Sora's 'world simulation' strengths, are needed for a definitive assessment," cautions Chan.

Similarly, Fay Ulrica Lee, founder and CEO of tech company Far Out Solutions said that this is "less a battle of AI models and more as a shift in how business create and distribute content." This is especially since both serve difference ecosystems, said Lee adding that OpenAI's Sora is still largely experimental whereas ByteDance's Goku AI will likely be deeply integrated into TikTok's content machine. "Meaning we'll see mass adoption, fast," said Lee. 

How will this affect marketers?

According to Lee, Goku's AI-generated videos at scale could mean faster content cycles, hyper-personalisation and reduced production costs. However, it will not replace human creators. "People crave real stories, and AI alone can’t replicate the raw creativity, emotion, and cultural nuance that human creators bring. The brands and companies that embrace AI as an amplifier rather than a replacement will have the edge," said Lee.

The real winners? Those who know how to blend AI efficiency with human authenticity. "The brands and agencies that adapt fast, experimenting with AI-generated content while keeping a human pulse on storytelling, will be the ones leading the next evolution of digital engagement," she added. 

Li agrees, adding that Goku AI's ability to transform text into hyper-realistic human videos is ideal for creating digital avatars that can represent brands, create engaging narratives or even host interactive virtual events, offering a time-saving and cost-effective promotional too. It also beneficial for showcasing products in a dynamic and appealing manner through the creation of vivid product demos. 

With its advanced adaptive video generation, Goku AI streamlines the video production process, making it especially useful when promoting services and boards too, said Li. 

By automating much of the video creation, Goku AI cuts down on both production time and costs. This makes it particularly attractive for marketers looking to scale up their advertising efforts without incurring the high expenses associated with traditional video production, he added. 

Considerations when adapting Goku AI 

One of the key challenges marketers need take note of is ensuring that the generated content does not violate copyright laws and that while Goku AI can produce life-like animations, it still cannot fully replace the nuanced authenticity of real human interactions. 

Marketers should be cautious and manage their expectations, as the average output might not always achieve the same level of visual appeal or stability, said Li. As with adapting new tech, learning curves will exist too. Marketers must consider the learning curve associated with harnessing all of its features effectively, said Li. 

In addition, marketers must carefully consider ethical implications and brand safety when using image and video generation tool, said Chan. Potential biases in generated content and the risk of misuse for misinformation require diligent review and ethical guidelines. Meanwhile, maintaining brand consistency and quality control also necessitates human oversight, as AI output can vary.

Chew Guo-You, managing director of Tommy said that from a productivity and process standpoint, Goku AI makes sense in the space of short-form content that requires brands to be reactive to trends, however computing demands for Gen AI are still substantial. "Not to mention risk to brands if the tools are misused. The tool is only as good as the hands that wield it, so adopting an AI-first mentality will be helpful to encourage literacy and utility in any organisation," said Chew. 

The real battle

According to Dominique Rose Van-Winther, chief AI evangelist and CEO for Final Upgrade, an AI consulting venture, said that the real battle is mastering AI before it's just another cost of doing business. "Let’s stop wasting time debating whether Goku AI can take on Sora. It doesn’t matter. AI is on a fast track to commoditisation, and a year from now, we’ll look back and laugh at the idea that individual models were even competing," said Van-Winther.

Van-Winther is of the opinion that the AI space will soon become indistinguishable and that the real question is not about which model "wins" but rather who integrates AI effectively before it turns into just another cost of doing business.

"Marketers need to stop overthinking AI tools and start using them. Goku AI, Sora, or any other generative model won’t change a thing if businesses aren’t actually leveraging them. The real problem is that no one is moving fast enough. Too many brands are waiting for a 'perfect' AI solution when they should be experimenting, testing, and failing fast," said Van-Winther.

AI-generated content still struggles with true hyper-realism, and video remains one of its most frustrating applications, she added, explaining that users can’t edit an AI-generated video once it’s created, which means marketers are forced into an inefficient cycle of generating hundreds of versions and hoping a few works. This could mean starting over whenever a revision is required, making the process slow, costly and unsustainable. 

"Lucky for us, this is temporary. AI is evolving at an exponential rate, and the companies that start adapting now will be the ones ahead when the technology finally stabilises. Critics might argue that not all technology becomes commoditised at the same rate or in the same way. Niche, highly specialized AI might retain its value longer. That’s true for some sectors, but not for generative AI, which is already headed towards mass adoption," explained Van-Winther.

The real risk is, it’ll be a race to the bottom, where quality suffers as AI becomes widely accessible and differentiation gets erased. "The key is speed and adaptability. AI is still a blunt instrument, but that won’t last. Those who embrace the messiness now will be the ones leading when AI is no longer a novelty but a necessity," she noted. 

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