Maintaining a Balance Between Driving Innovation and Adhering to Ethical Standards
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot debate topic for some time. There are a lot of tools out there for all industries, expanding capabilities and cutting back on the time it takes to do something. But what happens when you use AI to help convince people to spend money with you? What ethical lines does that cross? And should you even consider investing in any AI marketing tools at all?
What AI in Marketing Can Do
We need to understand the capabilities of AI in marketing first before we can even begin to answer that question. Here are just some of the things you can use AI for in your marketing:
- Deeper insights into consumer behavior and preferences (predictive analytics)
- Better customer journey mapping
- Content creation, including copywriting
- Image creation
- Email marketing (copywriting and personalization)
- Chatbots and other forms of automation
- SEO assistance
Benefits vs. Downsides of AI in Marketing
As with any technological advances, there are both positives and negatives to using AI in marketing.
Benefits of AI in Marketing include:
- Improved lead generation
- Increased personalization
- Advanced analytic data
- Increased opportunities for automation
- Improved customer experience
- Real-time insights
- Boost in ROI (return on investment)
Downsides of AI in Marketing include:
- Data privacy concerns
- Lack of a human touch and over-reliance on technology
- Potential job displacement
- Initial setup and implementation costs
- Risk of algorithmic bias
- Copyright issues
The Ethical Dilemma of AI in Marketing
AI has left a bad taste in the mouth for many. Artists are just one group of people that come to mind, especially when it concerns copyright issues. Another group is consumers who are concerned about privacy. But many marketers have really loved using AI to help cut down on the time it takes to create content, something that often takes most of your time as a marketer, as well as the deep dive into analytics it can provide. And a rapid adoption of new technologies is bound to raise critical ethical concerns.
So is using AI in marketing ethical? We think that all comes down to a personal answer. It’s different for everyone.
If you find the use of AI, even when labeling something as having been created with AI, unethical, then it’s simple: don’t use AI in your marketing.
But for those who do think that it can be used responsibly and ethically, the question then becomes: how do you balance your need to cut the cost of time and increase your knowledge of your target audience without stepping on the toes of privacy-conscious consumers and artists angered over potential copyright issues?
Finding Balance Between Innovation and Ethical Standards
Finding balance is all about educating yourself over the ethical concerns people have with AI. Knowledge is power and that knowledge of the criticisms of AI in marketing can help you to use the technology more ethically in your marketing practices. It’s also about having a commitment to ethical use of AI to help maintain trust with your target audience and the general public.
We could do a deep dive on the ethics of AI in marketing, but we believe that what is most important is to learn from multiple sources on this topic. Even among pro-AI personalities, there are wide-ranging opinions on how to use AI ethically. We highly encourage you to dive into those conversations and debates online to get a broader picture of what is considered ethical and what is not. It may also be helpful to invest in AI ethics training if you think AI is going to be a big part of your brand’s marketing and sales journey practices.
It’s also crucial to research laws concerning the use of AI in marketing. There may be laws in your country or in the countries you are advertising in that may dictate some of the ways you use AI in your marketing.
Finally, we also recommend implementing a monitoring and/or auditing practice for your use of AI. Checking in on a routine basis to see how your brand is using AI and comparing that to current ethics standards and regulations can be helpful in maintaining positive consumer relationships.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is that AI can be a tool that helps you build a better customer experience if you want to use it. But if you do decide to use it, it is essential that you maintain trust and positive consumer relationships. This can be done by viewing AI through a critical lens and by implementing a rigorous monitoring and auditing practice, adhering to emerging regulations and investing in AI ethics training. All of this will help you not only drive growth, but can help you adhere to ethical standards.