Controversies and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the world around us. We often think of it as shaping the scientific tech scene but you most likely use AI every day without thinking about it. Just think of the voice-powered assistance on your phone or home devices, like Siri and Alexa.
AI is now also shaping social media and the online marketing scene in new ways. We’ve had chat bots for some time now, but AI-generated art and captions are now sweeping across the interwebs.
For some, it can seem like an exciting new way to engage with consumers; for others, it can be a scary prospect to think that a computer may one day put you out of a job. As of now, there is no need to worry about AI taking over your job as a marketer. What it can do is enhance your social media strategy if used in the right way.
We’ll look at some ways AI can elevate your marketing strategies, plus we’ll look at some of the controversies surrounding AI in the social media space.
AI Basics
Before we hop into strategies and controversies around AI online, let’s go through a quick primer on the basics of AI. The truth is, social media wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for AI. Algorithms themselves are AI; that’s why you get recommended content while perusing content on Twitter or Instagram. It can also help platforms spot abuse.
There are many different types of AI too. Machine learning is one of the most well-known types of AI, but there is also deep learning, which is the kind used to power Bing Chat and ChatGPT. We won’t go into all the details here, but it’s good to be aware of how much we already use AI online and that there are many different types of AI.
Elevating Your Marketing with AI
Here are two things you can do right now to help elevate your marketing strategies with AI.
1 | Improve Customer Service
If you can’t afford to hire dedicated customer service reps, AI can assist you with improving the consumer experience. Chatbots have been around for a while and people have gotten comfortable interacting with chatbots when they initiate a customer service request. Platforms like Facebook can be set up to help determine why a person is contacting you, provide some answers, or reroute them to a human being if they need further assistance. It helps make the process more seamless and faster for customers looking to solve a problem, giving you major brownie points!
2 | Personalize the Consumer Experience
Today’s consumers expect a more personalized experience. They don’t want to be a nameless face in a crowd with a cookie cutter experience. Fortunately, AI can help personalize that experience. There are many different tools that assist with this. One of the biggest ways it can help is by hyper-targeting audiences by drilling down on segmentation. AI can analyze consumer behavior and even begin to predict it, helping you create more targeted and effective content. Better analysis means better and more effective content!
AI Controversies
Even with all of the amazing and helpful things AI can do, it hasn’t been without controversy.
1 | AI Filters
Filters have come a long way from the cute SnapChat-style puppy dog faces that would pop up on your face while filming. Glamour and beauty filters, especially on platforms like TikTok, have been called out for hyping up unrealistic beauty standards. Most recently, TikTok’s Bold Glamour filter, which creates a flawless complexion and more angular features, has made many users cry. Health professionals are warning of the mental health impacts it could have.
2 | AI-Generated Art
Many artists who put time and energy into their creations are angry over AI-generated art. This is because artists are concerned with the possible theft of their art. AI-generated art combs through millions of online art images to create artwork. Now, advocates have called for regulatory solutions rooted in copyright and privacy law. AI-generated art has now entered a legal grayscale. In fact, an AI-generated piece of art won first place in the digital category at the Colorado State Fair’s 2022 annual art competition. While the artist who generated the piece that took home first place didn’t technically break the rules, it did leave many with a bad taste in their mouth.
3 | Bing Chat and ChatGPT Make Waves
While this isn’t the last controversy around AI, it is the final one we’ll look at today. Deep learning chatbots Bing Chat and ChatGPT have made waves. Microsoft decided to limit Bing AI chats after it had some unsettling conversations, including declaring love for the person it was chatting with. ChatGPT has been used to help write papers and come up with business plans. It has alarmed some universities who have had to revamp how they teach and deploy greater plagiarism detection.
Key Takeaways
As technology evolves, AI will continue to evolve in the digital marketing space. Some scheduling platforms are offering AI-powered caption generators. Could we see more controversies from the use of AI-generated captions? Only time will tell. But by focusing on improving and personalizing the user experience, you can elevate your marketing strategies. Remember that with the use of any powerful technology, there also comes great responsibility.