The view from here: AI will get ugly.
Last week I listened to The Gartner Top 5 Marketing Predictions for 2023, and it was thought-provoking to say the least especially around AI. Of the five predictions for the future of marketing, two of them addressed the future of Marketers’ use of AI. And it will get ugly.
Marketing departments are often among the first to adopt new content engines, and the current “holy grail” of generative content are AI engines like Chat GPT and DALL-E. We’re anticipating a huge new need for highly relevant and engaging content, given we’re impacted by changes in privacy laws and the loss of third-party data roaring up on us.
Excitement around AI helping us abounds. So many of us are testing it today, the Chat GPT engine can’t keep up. My point? Play, tune, try, but THINK along the way. As AI continues to advance, it's critical for marketers to consider the ethical implications of its use.
Yes, AI can aid in the customer journey data that we CAN collect in the future, and we’ll be able to make more informed and decisively speedy decisions around content, programs and constructs as a result.
“Using AI to amplify content and journey orchestration will optimize segmentation and personalization efforts. As generative design AI accelerates time to market, marketers can use data to drive more agile responses.”
– Gartner Predictions eBook
But their analysts predict that by 2025, 70% of enterprise CMOs will identify accountability for ethical AI in marketing among their top concerns. (And if you’re not in enterprise marketing, just give it another year or two, and it’ll be YOU being accountable, guaranteed.)
“As marketing organizations rely more heavily on AI, brands must avoid using advanced technology to influence consumers in creepy and inequitable ways.
By 2024, at least a dozen enterprises will come under fire in the media and legal proceedings for ethical lapses in their use of automation in marketing campaigns.“
– Gartner Predictions eBook
Generative AI have been shown to perpetuate historical biases. As critical as it’s going to be that we anticipate the need to confront the risks and biases (AKA to influence in “creepy and inequitable ways”) that are associated with AI today, I am worried that we’ve not yet developed the enthusiasm for protecting our publics and ourselves for its use.
It's crucial for marketers to act as ethical leaders in adopting AI and defining their brand's image. More on that soon.