According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, 44.4% of marketers have used AI for content production.
With so many people turning to AI, it’s unsurprising that concerns are being raised. More and more, we are presented with the impressive output of AI, from images to copy, and it’s only improving. Generating pages of content at the entry of a few prompts, AI can arguably save businesses a significant amount of time and resources. But is AI-written content of high quality? Tools like Quillbot’s AI Detector beg to differ.
AI-generated content is efficient and cost-effective but lacks the creativity, nuance and personal touch that a person will provide. Completely relying on AI to write content for your website (and beyond) also renders the risk of bias and errors synonymous with AI-generated content. Since some AI platforms aren’t connected to the internet yet, information can be inaccurate, out of date or missing. This is why it’s important to check the accuracy of any factual content produced by AI. If you aren’t at the very least checking what AI produces at your prompts before publishing, it’s time to start.
Pros of AI in marketing
While we’ve already started discussing the pitfalls of using AI, there are definite benefits of using this software. Here are some of our favourite uses:
Idea generation:
One of the best uses for AI is as a springboard for ideas. Marketers can give a simple prompt asking for ideas around any subject and be presented with a brilliant range of options to consider. This method is far more specific and tailored to your request than a simple Google search.
Productivity:
AI is great at offering tips and techniques to help users optimise their time and efforts. Schedules, automating repetitive tasks and prioritising your to do list are just a few ways it can be used to boost productivity.
Proofreading:
Running your writing through AI can be a great way to get a check on grammar, formatting and more.
Downfalls of AI
AI is not without its flaws though, users must be mindful of the following factors when using AI in marketing:
Authority/Bias
AI models can produce biases and make factual mistakes. When presenting an argument or position using AI-generated content to produce work, you should carefully check the credibility and diversity of the system’s training data, examine who created it and for what purposes, check outputs against other reliable sources, and watch for statements that promote stereotypes or lack nuance. Particularly if you are working on recent news or events, make sure to check your AI model to see when it was last updated.
Oversimplification
AI systems tend to break down complex issues into simpler components to process and respond to, which sometimes leads to missed nuances, interconnectedness, or wider context around topics. The responses the AI generates tend to reflect the simplified nature of the data rather than the full complexity of the real world. Make sure to read to more on any topic that AI output describes to ensure you have a full understanding of the concept.
Plagiarism
AI is known to summarise content found online, which could mean plagiarism. When producing content, keep an eye on whether AI-generated text credits its sources or simply regurgitates and recombines content from across the internet. To evaluate, search snippets of text to check if passages appear word-for-word elsewhere online.
