Why Generative AI Is a Marketing Tool and Boon to Creativity

While generative AI promises to streamline marketing and communications efforts, it won’t replace marketing teams anytime soon. Instead, think of an AI text generator, such as ChatGPT, as a tool that B2B tech marketing writers can leverage when creating images, music, and content.

Some people feared the internet would replace human labor. Instead, it’s a tool that can waste time or boost productivity — it depends how we use it. Like the internet, generative AI’s unprecedented capabilities will reshape the future in big ways that we have yet to imagine.

In the meantime, when marketers use generative AI to efficiently co-produce quality creative content, forward-thinking companies will seize the opportunity to invest the net gains.

Frankie says relax about generative AI

It’s understandable that marketers fear being replaced by AI text tools, as generative AI appears poised to transform the way companies create marketing materials. However, early research from MIT suggests the sky is not falling, despite alarming headlines. In fact, MIT’s research shows that talented writers get faster while maintaining quality levels, and less skilled writers benefit from the lower barrier to entry. AI tools replace employee effort, not their intelligence or life experience. Huzzah!

As a boon for human creativity, AI-generated text enhances average productivity and allows creators to collectively ascend a rung on the writing ladder. Marketers know the goal of communication is to forge connections, foster understanding, and promote action — not to labor over a rough draft. Generative AI is a gift that supercharges your existing writing skill set. Get ready to strategize, brainstorm, and edit.

AI can’t replicate human experience

MIT’s research notes a primary limitation of content produced by generative AI: its lack of contextual knowledge. That is to be expected — generative AI scrapes words off the internet without the ability to discern quality. Generic content delivers generic results. This may work for basic needs, but niche products and complex technology require writers with specialized knowledge and nuance.

Generative AI cannot infer context or imbue meaning, and the tone can be cold. AI does not read between the lines or absorb audience insight. Nor does it examine different perspectives or apply sensitivity. Generative AI products are trained using online data, which ushers in opportunities for bias, copyright infringement, errors, and deliberate misinformation.

So, what is an AI text generator good for? Microsoft and Salesforce announced chatbot-integrated products that can write and automate personalized emails. Considering how well generative AI pulls information off the internet, writing emails is low hanging fruit as are repetitive writing tasks like grant proposals and RFPs. Good riddance, we say! By automating tedious tasks, writers can cut to the chase and focus on strategy, context, messaging, and accuracy—and furnish the human sparkle that has thus far eluded AI.

AI’s impact on the future

Before generative AI burst onto the scene, creative tasks like writing and graphic design largely managed to eschew automation. Now, Big Tech is rushing to integrate generative AI into user platforms, despite the technology’s infancy. Alphabet’s chairman admitted the Google Bard AI product “wasn’t really ready” and Microsoft’s Bing AI insults, gaslights, and gets angry with users while delivering inaccurate information. These companies have a mountain to climb before AI achieves polished, reliable results that the public and businesses trust.

Amidst the rush to roll out AI technology, the U.S. government prepares for an antitrust battle due to concerns that large companies could use generative AI to overwhelm the competition. OpenAI’s ChatGPT relies on a massive dataset of 45 terabytes of text to generate content while it burns millions of dollars per day on computing power. Most companies simply cannot afford the investment, resulting in an uneven playing field.

Between regulatory scrutiny, the ramifications of immature technology, lawsuits, tech leaders’ calls to halt AI development, and oceans of investment cash, the generative AI industry is buffeted by heavy-hitting external forces. The potential for misinformation is huge and the consequences far-reaching. This technology will shapeshift and lurch in big ways over the next decade.

Human creativity is more valuable than generative AI

Few tech innovations captured our imagination and transformed daily life like the smartphone. When this game-changing device was introduced, it revolutionized the way we communicate, interact, access information, and conduct business. Since then, generative AI is the only technology to make as profound and innovative a leap.

Generative AI may mimic human creativity, but it lacks the ingenuity and quirk of the human mind and plucky spirit of creative marketers. AI operates based on algorithms, people by experiences and emotions. This engenders spontaneity, intuition, and an appreciation for cultural and social nuances. Subjective consciousness and human awareness are crucial to generate insightful ideas that resonate with the public and buyers on a deep, meaningful level. And that is the crux of marketing communication.

HCI’s content creators and strategists use the best tools coupled with deep industry expertise to develop meaningful content that motivates B2B tech audiences to act. When you need content that resonates with your technical markets, HCI can help.

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