Posted by Andy Cullwick, head of marketing at Legal Futures Associate First4Lawyers
Cullwick: AI cannot produce original content
Sitting down to write this article about how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing marketing, I briefly wondered if I could ask ChatGPT to write it for me instead.
Would the technology be sophisticated enough to mimic the mind of this marketing genius? Possibly. But anyone thinking robots are ready to take over our jobs needn’t start looking for work just yet.
There is no doubt that AI has been transformative in changing the way we reach potential clients. It enables us to collect and analyse huge amounts of customer data, identify patterns, and tailor and target our adverts at those most likely to need our products and services.
Whereas it would have once taken weeks or at best days to get marketing campaigns up and running, the technology now available means it can be done in a matter of hours.
AI is undoubtedly a very useful tool but, despite the hype, when it comes to content creation it is by no means an end-to-end solution and is still a long way off replacing people.
What do consumers want?
While marketing is predicted to be one of the sectors that will most benefit from AI, it isn’t always straightforward. For example, those needing legal services are often seeking advice on complex issues or are vulnerable and need the empathy and reassurance you can’t yet get from a machine.
A study by Orbit Media found legal services was one of the sectors where consumers were the most resistant to AI, with almost half (46%) of respondents wanting services to be run entirely by humans and a further 38% wanting human-led services supported by AI.
People were asked for their preferences on a range of services, from financial advice to health, and the clear consensus was that most wanted at least some level of human interaction and/or supervision.
While chatbots are becoming more prevalent, they are typically still used to answer only routine queries and, in most industries, consumers can still get through to a person if they need one.
The way people find information is changing and that’s where AI can really help, but once you’ve got their attention, then the rest is up to you.
Human touch
Full disclosure – I did ask ChatGPT to have a go at writing this. The result? A glowing and somewhat one-sided endorsement of AI and its benefits, but not quite what you need for that all-important spot at the top of the search results.
Published in August last year, Google’s helpful content update provides guidance on what the search engine looks for and it’s where our robot writers fall short. It wants original content that not only answers users’ questions but adds value, for example, with first-hand expertise.
What it expressly states that it does not want are generic articles simply “summarising what others have to say”, which is exactly what ChatGPT does – scouring the internet for relevant information then putting it all together.
Like Google, consumers looking for services in the legal sector in particular are also far more likely to be convinced by content that demonstrates expertise and a depth of knowledge.
Attention to detail is key, which could make using AI problematic as the information it returns is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Striking the right tone is also important. AI is constantly learning and can analyse data such as customer feedback and social media activity to tell us what customers think of our services, but when it comes to creating content on sensitive issues, it is still not quite there yet.
It is a useful tool, but as a foundation rather than to create a finished product. It can source information, images and templates much quicker than its human counterparts, but it does not yet have the ability to produce the same high-quality content.
The computer didn’t phase out humans entirely and I very much doubt that AI will either, at least not for a very long time. However, what AI does offer is improvements, insights and efficiencies, and businesses are missing a trick if they don’t start utilising the benefits now.
A version of this article first appeared on Insurance Claims.
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