Ethical AI principles for content marketing and copywriting

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in so many ways. I personally use it to effectively compare products I am considering buying or to summarise massive quantities of information for market research purposes.

I have also used it to be more efficient and succinct with my writing, or to translate from one tone to another in a matter of seconds. It is a handy tool to have on hand however you like to use it and can be very tempting to use once it becomes part of your toolbar.

There is, however, an ethical dilemma with using it in marketing and copywriting as it removes the ‘human’ element, authenticity and reliability of information that makes a brand or company more trustworthy in the eyes of a discerning consumer.

One of the main concerns with using AI is that you never really know the source of the information and therefore how accurate it is. Misinformation and disinformation are at the heart of this, and unless we are cross-checking every fact with reliable and credible sources, we are at risk of being misinformed or losing the trust of loyal customers.

AI is a powerful assistant, not a moral agent. 

Practically speaking, we should be seeing AI outputs as proposals – to be reviewed and edited – rather than gospel. Without human oversight, AI-generated copy might inadvertently produce offensive, misleading, or non-inclusive content. 

AI bots or algorithms are adept at feeding us biased information that we want to read or hear based on stereotypes and user activity – what we click on, what we read or watch, when we read it and for how long – in a world where EVERYTHING we do online is recorded and used for marketing and advertising purposes.

The good news is there are frameworks being developed to tackle AI bias, such as bias checklists (similar to a style guide) that marketers and developers use to review AI-generated content, ensuring it meets fairness standards before it goes public.

Another ethical AI dilemma is that once information is published online, it can be re-produced or re-purposed for various means and channels without getting the necessary permissions or copyright from the original owner of that information.

In an unregulated environment, disclosure around the use of AI in marketing and copywriting is still discretionary but it is always best practice to be transparent if you want to maintain consumer trust and avoid any ethical dilemmas that may threaten your brand reputation.

Incorporating these ethical AI principles – reviewing and editing AI-generated information, bias checklists and AI-use disclosure – into all content marketing and copywriting is central to how we work at The Artful Storyteller. Please reach out if we can help you integrate these principles into your business to future-proof it for success.