Striking a Balance: The Intersection of Efficiency and Ethics in AI Advertising and Marketing

by | Jun 22, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the game for advertising and marketing companies. It is offering new opportunities for innovation and efficiency, but some concerns are growing about the loss of the human touch in marketing campaigns. In the Boulder Valley and beyond, companies are embracing the use of AI in generating visual content, but ethical considerations remain at the forefront of discussions.

During a recent roundtable discussion, commercial loan officer Jon Svoboda and marketing director Ashley Cawthorn discussed how AI can be directed into their particular content, and then specific prompts unique to their work can be written to achieve their desired outcome. AI can provide new ways of thinking for their staff, generate more ideas, and increase speed. This is indeed a game changer for advertising and marketing companies.

However, some people believe that using AI to generate visual content is ethically and morally wrong, and there are no regulations in place for AI-generated visual content. AI-generated clip art differs from traditional clip art because it takes pieces from various artworks. Executives at advertising and marketing companies are mixing enthusiasm with caution about ethics and the loss of the human touch in their marketing campaigns.

AI-generated visual content raises ethical concerns about aggregated plagiarism. Self-certifications or badging systems may be developed to verify authentic images. They are cautious about losing the humanity in the marketing campaigns they produce. They worry that maybe AI could stop new ideas at some point.

While AI can be a helpful tool, it is important to maintain a balance and not let it override the value of creativity and the humanity behind marketing campaigns. Managing partner Jim Cowgill echoed this sentiment. He represented Plante Moran at the roundtable and emphasized the importance of confidence in the value of human-created content.

Moreover, hand-done artwork may increase in value due to the use of AI. AI-generated content is becoming more prevalent, and people are seeking out something with a human touch. This is leading to the value of traditional, handmade art increasing.

Many in the industry are making use of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, a bot that is trained to follow an instruction in a prompt and provide a detailed response. AI software can detect if something was created by AI. However, they are cautious about losing the humanity in the marketing campaigns they produce. They value face-to-face interaction and meeting their team.

In conclusion, AI is a game changer for advertising and marketing companies in the Boulder Valley and beyond. It has the potential to provide new ways of thinking for staff, increase speed and efficiency, and generate more ideas. However, ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI in creative work must be considered. The value of human-created content is still important, and hand-done artwork may even increase in value due to the use of AI. While AI may be a helpful tool, it is important to maintain a balance and not let it override the value of creativity and the humanity behind marketing campaigns. As the industry continues to evolve, it is vital to find a way to embrace AI without sacrificing the human touch that makes marketing campaigns truly engaging.