Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how businesses work – offering new ways to innovate, improve efficiency, and grow. Generative AI enables us to create new material, such as text, images, and music.
As a company and as professional users, it’s important to fully understand how AI works and what we need to consider. Unlike personal use, we have more requirements to meet when using AI in a business context.
Corporate principles
To get the most value from generative AI, we need to integrate it thoughtfully and strategically. It must align with our core values, Code of Conduct, corporate principles, and brand guidelines. Using AI ethically and responsibly is essential – ensuring that AI-generated content is accurate, relevant, and reflects our values and standards.
We also need to comply with regulations, making sure our AI systems do not produce harmful, misleading, or unfair results. Handling sensitive information and managing copyright risks are key considerations. For example, what material has the AI tool been trained on? How do we ensure we leave a clear mark on what we create? How do we store prompts securely?
If you use AI, it is your responsibility to make sure all company guidelines and legal requirements are met – including checking user agreements and licenses.
Learn more in the mandatory guidelines on corporate principles for AI via MyCompass, and on the ISec and IT sites on Reflex.
Brand guidelines
No matter how communication material is created – by a person or with AI – it must follow all Scania brand and identity guidelines. For example, all images should reflect Scania’s look and feel. Text and speech must align with the Scania tone of voice and follow the guidelines for voice-over.
Images
All images used at Scania must follow our look and feel principles for imagery, where authenticity is key. Images should be professional, realistic, and natural. Whether created by a photographer, CGI artist, or AI, the producer must be trained in and follow Scania’s imagery guidelines.
To ensure a professional and trustworthy impression, every image must be correct – both in overall composition and in every detail. That’s why all AI-generated images require thorough quality control to confirm that the motif is accurately presented.
Read more about the general look and feel to apply also for AI-generated images on the Imagery page.
All images that we use at Scania have to follow the Scania look and feel principles for imagery, where authenticity is key. The images must be professional and feel realistic and natural. The producer - whether it's a photographer, CGI artist or AI - therefore should be trained in and instructed to follow Scania's imagery guidelines. To give a professional and reliable impression it is of great importance that the image is correct both in overall composition and in every detail.
Keep in mind that using AI when generating new material implies a risk of reinforced stereotypes and that the material produced becomes too generic, not reflecting the Scania look and feel. Hence, all AI generated images require a thorough quality control, also to ensure that the motif is correctly presented. Since AI tools are trained on general and not Scania-specific material, it is highly recommended to avoid using AI when creating product images. Instead, images available in Scania Media Portal should be used, since they are shot by experienced and professional photographers.
An external service may only be provided with Scania specific information that has no restriction, i.e. that is classified as public (internal, confidential or secret material should not be used). When it comes to using images from Scania Media Portal, only images on Level 4 may be used as input, and images of persons or that are shot by external photographers should be avoided. Please contact mediaportal@scania.com for more advice.
Be aware that for us as a company and professional users, there are more requirements to fulfil than when using AI for private use. For example, we have to be transparent that we use AI, and also save the prompts that we have used.
There are also risks connected to copyrights. The AI system used must have been trained with material that it has legal access to. And, to get copyrights of the material produced by AI, the creator must have left its mark in the work of art. It’s not enough to just press a button, or write a simple prompt, but you must work in several different steps and leave your mark in each step in the process.
You may not make any changes to a image without first obtaining the author's permission, and you may not use an image for montage with another image. Likewise, you may not use an image as training data for AI models without the author's permission.
No modifications to a photograph that mislead the public or stage events, people, or developments while presenting them as real are acceptable.
Remember that if you use AI, it is your responsibility to ensure that all legal aspects are fulfilled, including checking user agreements and licenses.
Text
Whatever we write or say at Scania should sound like us – every time. It doesn’t matter whether the text or speech is created by a person or AI. That’s why it’s important to always follow Scania’s tone of voice guidelines, whether briefing a copywriter or using an AI tool. Read more about our guidelines on the Tone of voice page.
If you have a ChatGPT Enterprise subscription, you can use a Scania tone of voice GPT to help refine your text so it aligns with our writing style and rules.
Voice
We experience voice and speech in many ways – in videos, presentations, events, and interviews. Voice is a powerful tool for reinforcing our brand values, so always follow our guidelines and references, whether using a person or AI for voice-over.
Visit the Sound page to learn more about our voice-over guidelines.
Music
Music plays a key role in how we – and our message – are perceived. That’s why we have our own sonic theme, designed to be a fully integrated part of our brand identity. It should always be our primary choice when selecting music.
If new music is needed, the first approach should be to create a new version of our existing sonic theme. For example, we might add bells for a Christmas version or use strings for an acoustic adaptation in a visitor centre. There’s plenty of room for creativity here.
If this isn’t a viable option and a completely new piece of music is needed, the starting point should always be our sonic concept and sonic principles. These should guide the brief – even when using AI to create music.
Visit the Sound page to learn more about our sonic concept, principles, and music guidelines.
Film
If you use an AI tool to create a film, make sure to follow our principles for applying brand assets – such as the logotype and text – in film and motion.
Read more in our film guidelines.