# ACAI for SBOs: AI Co-creation for Advertising and Inspiration for Small Business Owners

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.06729 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.06729/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 29 of its 66 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 9 Mar 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 29 of 29)

- [A General Theoretical Paradigm to Understand Learning from Human Preferences](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.12036/) (2023)
- [MemoryBank: Enhancing Large Language Models with Long-Term Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.10250/) (2023)
- [Design Guidelines for Prompt Engineering Text-to-Image Generative Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.06977/) (2021)
- [Co-Writing Screenplays and Theatre Scripts with Language Models: An Evaluation by Industry Professionals](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14958/) (2022)
- [Art or Artifice? Large Language Models and the False Promise of Creativity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14556/) (2023)
- [Bridging the Gulf of Envisioning: Cognitive Design Challenges in LLM Interfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14459/) (2023)
- [Large Language Models are Competitive Near Cold-start Recommenders for Language- and Item-based Preferences](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.14225/) (2023)
- [PromptCharm: Text-to-Image Generation through Multi-modal Prompting and Refinement](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.04014/) (2024)
- [Talkin' 'Bout AI Generation: Copyright and the Generative-AI Supply Chain](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.08133/) (2023)
- ["We Need Structured Output": Towards User-centered Constraints on Large Language Model Output](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.07362/) (2024)
- [LLM-PBE: Assessing Data Privacy in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.12787/) (2024)
- [The Effects of Generative AI on Design Fixation and Divergent Thinking](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.11164/) (2024)
- [The Value, Benefits, and Concerns of Generative AI-Powered Assistance in Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.12004/) (2024)
- [PromptPaint: Steering Text-to-Image Generation Through Paint Medium-like Interactions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.05184/) (2023)
- ["My agent understands me better": Integrating Dynamic Human-like Memory Recall and Consolidation in LLM-Based Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.00573/) (2024)
- [A Robot Walks into a Bar: Can Language Models Serve as Creativity Support Tools for Comedy? An Evaluation of LLMs' Humour Alignment with Comedians](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.20956/) (2024)
- [On Natural Language User Profiles for Transparent and Scrutable Recommendation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.09403/) (2022)
- [The AI Ghostwriter Effect: When Users Do Not Perceive Ownership of AI-Generated Text But Self-Declare as Authors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.03283/) (2023)
- [Understanding Nonlinear Collaboration between Human and AI Agents: A Co-design Framework for Creative Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.07312/) (2024)
- [Double-I Watermark: Protecting Model Copyright for LLM Fine-tuning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.14883/) (2024)
- [Designing Participatory AI: Creative Professionals' Worries and Expectations about Generative AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.08931/) (2023)
- ["If the Machine Is As Good As Me, Then What Use Am I?" -- How the Use of ChatGPT Changes Young Professionals' Perception of Productivity and Accomplishment](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.12549/) (2024)
- [Beyond ChatBots: ExploreLLM for Structured Thoughts and Personalized Model Responses](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.00763/) (2023)
- [Generative AI in the Wild: Prospects, Challenges, and Strategies](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.04101/) (2024)
- [Privacy and Copyright Protection in Generative AI: A Lifecycle Perspective](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.18252/) (2023)
- [Identifying Ethical Issues in AI Partners in Human-AI Co-Creation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.07644/) (2022)
- [Deconstructing the Veneer of Simplicity: Co-Designing Introductory Generative AI Workshops with Local Entrepreneurs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17082/) (2024)
- [The role of interface design on prompt-mediated creativity in Generative AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.00233/) (2023)
- [A Preliminary Exploration of YouTubers' Use of Generative-AI in Content Creation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.06039/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [PromptCanvas: Composable Prompting Workspaces Using Dynamic Widgets for Exploration and Iteration in Creative Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.03741/) (2025)
- [Learning from AVA: Early Lessons from a Curated and Trustworthy Generative AI for Policy and Development Research](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.17843/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Small business owners (SBOs) often lack the resources and design experience needed to produce high-quality advertisements. To address this, we developed ACAI (AI Co-Creation for Advertising and Inspiration), an GenAI-powered multimodal advertisement creation tool, and conducted a user study with 16 SBOs in London to explore their perceptions of and interactions with ACAI in advertisement creation. Our findings reveal that structured inputs enhance user agency and control while improving AI outputs by facilitating better brand alignment, enhancing AI transparency, and offering scaffolding that assists novice designers, such as SBOs, in formulating prompts. We also found that ACAI's multimodal interface bridges the design skill gap for SBOs with a clear advertisement vision, but who lack the design jargon necessary for effective prompting. Building on our findings, we propose three capabilities: contextual intelligence, adaptive interactions, and data management, with corresponding design recommendations to advance the co-creative attributes of AI-mediated design tools.