As AI penetrates deeper into both business and personal life, it's hard not to be impressed with its fluidity, knowledge, and (usually) natural conversation.
So it's been a popular question: Is AI sentient?
AI programs are often given friendly names like Alice, Leo, and Celia to subconsciously endear them to us, and even lifelike romantic chatbots have even helped many find companionship in lonely times. Does it really matter whether it's artificial or not if it makes you feel a little less alone?
And the Turing test isn't even reliable anymore; ChatGPT has recently passed it. And in a recent study, 54% of participants couldn't distinguish AI chatbots from real people.
Honestly, the "big question" of whether AI is—or could become—sentient is not en mode anymore. What is more pertinent now is what voice we should allow it to have.
We all have carefully built up talented teams and want their trusted voices to still shine through in the work we do. Authenticity is something we're not willing to compromise, and AI is something we can't afford to ignore. So where do we draw the line?
That is the biggest AI question, not its sentience.
The Search for Realness
What does it even mean to be authentic? We hear the word thrown around a lot by people, from looking for authentic partners on dating apps to seeking out brands that speak authentically to them.
Authenticity, in many ways, means to be human. So, if we're seeking to market with authenticity, then it would follow that we need humans behind the work to drive this somewhat illusive feeling of relatable real-ness.
But remember what we said about AI earlier? Sometimes it doesn't matter if it technically qualifies as being sentient or not. If a lonely person can find an authentic connection with a bot, then a customer could find an authentic connection with AI content. If it seems real, if its results can impact us in the same way, the technicalities become moot.
Well, to some degree. Authenticity and AI aren't mutually exclusive. We, the master marketers pulling the strings behind the curtain, need to recognize the power of the tools we use while being careful not to slide into uncanny-valley territory.
Prioritizing Human Connection...
With lots of trial and error, we can find out which boundaries work for our individual teams. We can expect to experiment a lot, fail frequently, and succeed occasionally. Some tasks simply need the human touch—and employees behind it with the unique skills to do right by the goals we're pursuing.
Marketers have mixed feelings about AI, so it's imperative to find the right path to build confidence. Here are four areas that need to be mastered by every pro:
- Experimentation. One of the most beautiful things about marketing is the opportunity to try new things. Or, rather, the requirement to do so. To captivate customers, we have to think outside the box: Taking risks, working outside the parameters, and breaking expectations should be left to the team.
- Customer interaction. Creating authentic connections with clients and customers is the heart of marketing, so this one shouldn't come as a surprise. Building valuable long-term relationships can't be left to the inconsistencies of a chatbot.
- Humor and storytelling. Humor is not a specific task, but it's key to creative work. The fun of crafting unique dialogs can be an important part of nurturing the creative mindset. And, of course, storytelling gives life to our work. It comes from the heart, and I'm pretty sure AI's isn't fully built yet.
- Collaboration. Most business practices rely more and more on collaboration, and it can sometimes be a fragile thing. It can be easy to step on toes or misinterpret actions, so top-tier communication skills are key to taking collaboration to the next level.
...While Embracing the Artificial
I've happily drunk the AI-flavored Kool-Aid in some areas (I can't deny that it can taste pretty sweet!). Over the last few years, I've found some areas that particularly benefit from its partnership. It seems like everyone has jumped on the train of generic GenAI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, and there's no reason to reject them right off the bat. The truth stands: They save time and they're still novel enough to be fun to play around with.
I won't go into the already-stale adage of making sure to edit and adjust the results, and only using results as references. Properly used, AI tools can be great for brainstorming, refining ideas, or refreshing content, and cross-referencing results with other tools can add another level of quality. Injecting more content and more ideas can bolster creativity and amplify unique voices, rather than speaking over them.
Specialized AI can also be a game-changer for marketers. Generic, large-language models can only go so far. Investing in a tool that can automate tedious tasks can help your team focus on what's important.
Looking Beyond the LLM horizon
Consider options beyond large language models (LLMs). What specialized AI can best support your team?
Depending on your specific goals and challenges, key specialized AI can now execute tasks, make decisions, and showcase creativity; they can be great problem solvers, such as NLP AI for customer sentiment analysis (IBM Watson Tone Analyzer, Brandwatch); predictive analytics AI for forecasting and optimization (Salesforce Einstein, GA4); Computer Vision AI for visual content analysis (Clarifai); recommendation systems for personalization (Dynamic Yield), attribution modeling AI for campaign effectiveness (AppsFlyer); and the most recent: AI agents that, when supplied with high-order marketing goals, can figure out how to accomplish them.
TL;DR: The Illusive Balance
My parting words for marketing leaders are this: Decide what authenticity means for you. Is it strictly human? Is it only results-based? Your answer will guide your implementation decisions.
Experiment and decide for yourself where you want to draw the boundary. Maybe you're OK with using it more expansively, and maybe you want it to only run in the background. Talk to your team members who are in the trenches to find out where they're not willing to compromise.
AI may or may not be sentient, but you are, and you decide what real-ness looks like. And don't ask ChatGPT for the answer to that one.
More Resources on AI Use in Marketing and Business
When AI Is Too Much: How to Balance Human and AI Marketing
ChatGPT Has Turned 1: What Have We Learned From AI's Breakout Year?
