Everywhere you look, AI is top of mind. It’s more than a hot topic of conversation—it’s the conversation. While AI innovations are game changers in terms of efficiency, they aren’t perfect.
Even marketers seem hesitant, due to valid ethical concerns and criticisms regarding data privacy, bias, misinformation, copyright infringement, potential job replacement, and transparency issues.
Generative AI is undoubtedly the new Wild West, and as authorities look to reign things in with increasing regulations, one might wonder how AI can ethically be incorporated into an existing marketing strategy.
In this blog, we’re breaking down AI ethics. We’ll cover a few AI pitfalls and how to mitigate your risks, while offering recommendations on how to incorporate AI into your marketing efforts ethically and strategically.
AI Ethics: A New Frontier
We don’t yet need Sarah Connor, but as helpful as generative AI has been, it’s also raising some concerns that do strike a familiar chord with sci-fi fans.
Privacy concerns, deepfakes, and the viral spreading of misinformation, copyright infringement, rogue AI chatbots, and more, have left some marketers hesitant to implement AI tools in their marketing strategy.
That’s where AI ethics come in—a set of global standards and best practices to guide AI use and implementation. In 2021, UNESCO put forth the “first-ever global standard on AI ethics.” Today, our federal and local governments are still grappling with additional recommendations and regulations.
But hey, it’s a start!
As AI further integrates with technology in our work and personal lives, one can expect an increase in regulation and guidance. In the meantime, there are a few ways your team can mitigate the risks surrounding AI tools.
Winning the Wild West
Let’s be honest. AI isn’t going away. Marketers are left with a choice—adapt or get left behind. The metaverse is once again evolving, and AI offers a lot of great wins in the efficiency department.
Will that mean your job will be handed to the robots? No. But you might ask an employee to use and oversee a few AI tools that speed up processes. Here are a few ways in which your organization can ethically involve AI while mitigating the risks:
Create an AI ethics team for your organization.
If AI isn’t going away (it’s not), then it might be time for your business to assemble a team that can create company-wide guidelines for its usage. This game plan is a great starting point to keep employees on the same page and avoid confusion surrounding the use of AI at work.
Vet AI tools before use.
We can’t stress this enough! Before you implement an AI tool, work with your IT department (we can also help!), to make sure it is safe to use. Learn how it collects data and what it does with that data (you might find you’re unable to use it for security reasons).
Use it for the right purposes.
Brainstorming? Great! Using it to create whole captions or images? Most likely not. AI has recently come under fire for plagiarism and copyright violations, so it’s best not to rely heavily on AI for your content creation, but rather use it for planning content or generating ideas.
Understand its limitations.
AI has also been accused of biased writing and imagery. Your team should understand that AI does have limitations (it isn’t perfect)! Before you hit publish or leave your AI on autopilot (like a chatbot), make sure you’ve looked at its algorithm and continually check for bias so that you can correct any problems before issues arise.
Work with your legal team.
Already companies are facing legal challenges because of AI tools they’ve employed as part of their marketing efforts. Stay one step ahead by having a proactive conversation with your organization’s legal team. They can provide guidance on disclosures you’ll likely need to include (like on social media or online) regarding AI content, chatbots, and more.
Be transparent with your audience.
Like many marketers, audiences are often split when it comes to AI. While some openly welcome this exciting innovation, many are skeptical. That’s why it is of the utmost importance for your team to be transparent and open about how you’re using AI in your marketing and where you use it.
Is your image AI-generated? Your audience should know, especially since it has become more difficult to differentiate AI from reality. Not being open with your audience could damage brand trust, and that’s hard to win back.
Never stop educating your team and organization.
As AI becomes more involved in our day-to-day lives, it will inevitably adapt, and we’ll need to adapt too. Holding ongoing trainings on the latest AI innovations will keep your team current on best practices.
It’s also a great way for marketing teams to be involved in the process and instill confidence that AI isn’t replacing them but rather serving as a helpful tool to achieve greater efficiency.
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of recommendations, we hope our suggestions help as you begin to incorporate AI into your marketing efforts.
Need help with AI tools and processes? Our team has a great deal of experience with AI in marketing and we’re here to help. Book a FREE consultation to chat today!
