The world of artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded dramatically, with various programmes now capable of generating significant amounts of content. But is it any good? And could you be using AI in your marketing as a result?
More fundamentally, what does it mean to use AI? Are we all to be replaced by robots? With the quality of AI right now, and having tested a few of the most popular programmes, the answer is most likely “not yet”.
So, find out what exactly AI is, why these programmes currently don’t have the power to replace humans, and why it’s important to be cautious if you’re planning to use them in your business.
Reactive machines turning human inputs into outputs
AI is simply a reactive machine, taking human inputs and generating outputs. These reactive machines can come in many forms, ranging from the simple to the complex.
The simplest form of AI is a calculator, the counting machine invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. If you were to input 4 x 2 into a calculator, its output will be 8.
Almost 400 years on, computing and AI come in many different shapes and sizes.
These include Word docs, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, spell checks, and even Google searches. In fact, any element of work you do on the computer is technically a form of AI. Even the simplicity of typing on a keyboard makes use of AI, with the keyboard being your input and the words on your screen being the output.
AI needs human intervention for it to be used successfully
Of course, AI programmes have evolved and are now able to learn and understand concepts in a slightly more human way.
They have a voice and a personality (kind of). We talk and communicate with them, and they are continually learning about us. For example, your devices know your shopping list, favourite songs, home address, deliveries, schedule, texts, phone calls, and so much more.
But what do we know about them?
Modern AI programmes have become more advanced than ever. We know them as ChatGPT, Bard, Midjourney, DALL-E, Fireflies, Murf, and many more.
For some of us, these help us with everyday tasks. You might use them to help you brainstorm ideas for copy, media, and perhaps business or even personal advice.
In many ways, AI has become more than just a tool, morphing into an assistant. But is it a reliable assistant?
I put it to the test.
I asked the popular AI platforms to write me an article about finance. They all churned out a 1,000-word article in seconds, and on a cursory glance, it all made sense.
But it was far from good. The grammar and language was clunky, the content lacked creativity, and was devoid of emotion. As a result, the article only just made sense on the page and delivered very little value. Worse still, there was no human nuance that helps to engage a reader.
I then asked the machines where they found the source information. They gave me links to the information and digital addresses.
More often than not, the digital address was made up and didn’t exist at all. Some of the facts and figures were incorrect, and the points the machine made were backed up by research it either generated itself or simply made up.
I then went to generate some media, and some photographs for my article.
Is it morally okay to generate politicians and celebrities in an environment I made up? The results were great, they looked realistic. But it was all a lie.
Rishi Sunak has never been to a land covered with money trees, and Winston Churchill never sat with Margaret Thatcher in the middle of a Nottingham skyline roof garden – at least as far as I know.
The fact is, we are able to replicate reputable faces and lie about where and what they are doing.
When it comes to the financial advice profession, we must be extremely careful with how we use AI. The content we put out, and the images we generate must be truthful, factual, and reliable. Otherwise, what kind of service would we be providing?
Perhaps, in a few years’ time, these platforms may have more to offer, but right now they provide little true value.
Whether you are using AI within your work, or if you are thinking about using AI in your business, by all means allow it to assist you and speed up your workflow. But that’s all that it is at the moment: an assistant.
Right now, AI poses a threat to the truth, so be cautious about what you put out there as knowledge.
Speak to us
If you would like your marketing content to be truthful, emotionally engaging, and reliable, we can help.
Get in touch by emailing hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call us on 0115 8965 300.
