Generative AI: Chances, challenges, and changes for content marketing

Staying ahead of the chances, challenges and changes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents for strategic communication is critical to maintaining momentum in this rapidly advancing industry.

As an umbrella term, generative AI describes any kind of automated process that uses algorithms to produce, manipulate, or synthesise data, often in the form of images or text that are indistinguishable from human-generated content.

The first example of generative AI was recorded more than 60 years ago but in recent years the popularity, accessibility and awareness of AI has reached fever pitch with newly launched platforms such as ChatGPT and DALL·E 2.

As communication professionals, we should all be aware of the implications of generative AI on content marketing, specifically:

CHANCES

Generative AI models have the capacity to:

• create high-quality content at scale
• analyse sentiment by summarising and extracting themes from digital text and images
• investigate large amounts of data to recommend interactions aimed at increasing growth and retention
• flag online risks
• carry out chatbot functions
• eliminate grammar and spelling errors often seen in human-generated content
• recommend effective keyword ideas to enhance SEO.

CHALLENGES

However awe-inspiring the capabilities of generative AI seem, it is not a ready-set-go technology. Practical flaws and ethical concerns remain. Generative AI:

• does not guarantee the accuracy of information
• continues to occasionally produce inappropriate or harmful content
• may draw from data that might include systemic biases
• content raises questions about intellectual property, copyright, and plagiarism
• lacks social and emotional intelligence
• generates inaccurate responses when considering context, despite technical correctness.

CHANGES

It is then necessary for communication professionals, departments, and companies to contemplate:

• where generative AI can add to and detract from operations
• what criteria will be used when assessing whether generative AI should be incorporated into projects
• the process for fact-checking information gathered from these tools
• what legal and community standards will be upheld to maintain integrity and trustworthiness
• how they will ensure they stay up to date with the latest developments in this field.

Be mindful when integrating generative AI – ensuring quality, accuracy, context, integrity and authenticity are always front of mind.

With a considered approach, generative AI has the potential to revolutionise content marketing and help businesses succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace, but it still can’t quite replace the personal touch lived and professional experience can bring.

Read on: How AI will transform communications