We have all seen the classic movie plot in which robots rise against humanity in movies such as “Terminator,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and, most recently, CBS All-Access “Start Trek: Picard.” Despite these movie fears, artificial intelligence (AI) uses are growing every year. SoftBank Robotics has created the social robot “Pepper.” Pepper’s design is to understand human emotional displays and carry simple conversations.[1] More advanced artificial intelligence is used for therapies and as hospital companions. The society welcomes basic to complex social listening devices in our homes to increase the ease in life and social access to more exceptional products. Smartphones, smartwatches, Amazon Echo, and Google Alexa, along with cookies and algorithms on our digital devices, are tracking and collecting data under the umbrella of providing a greater experience for the user.
The dichotomy in creating a better experience is the transformation of the user from being a client to becoming the product. The data mined in a social setting reveals the personal privacy of the user and potential product needs. Merriam-Webster defines social as “the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society.” The same defines privacy as “set-apart from observation and freedom from unauthorized intrusion.”[2] The modern balancing act of digital interaction and freedom from unauthorized intrusion is the user’s digital social and private road. Yet, the journey is manageable with three basic guides of asking questions of the offering, be wholistic in the situational context, and consider the medium in which the information is being communicated.
Asking questions is excellent listening skills. Asking questions of the AI is to seek clarification or seeking elaboration. Asking questions includes investigative work before purchasing the digital device. The user and the marketer must interact with apps, such as Ghostly, to track cookies on computers and mobile devices. Always remember the two ears to one brain is a great ratio. In a world filled with information and data, listen twice as much as you act.
The second guide includes a wholistic awareness of the context in which we live. Simply, a complete view of the AI big picture. Be aware of the devices within your environment. As marketers, we need to be mindful of laws and regulations which protect and provide the user. The big picture is to be aware of AI’s ability to remove excessive information for the user and collect information to be stored, for the marketer. As David Priest explains, The marketer’s big picture view will embrace the data minimization principle where “only relevant and essential data should be processed and collected. Not only does enacting this principle ensure ethical use of data by the company, but it also exposes less customer data to potential privacy breaches.”[3]
The third guide is to consider the medium in which the information is communicated. AI will collect the data, but is it truly the information you wish to collect or need to use? Compared to the one-on-one approach of yesteryear, modern digital mediated communication is the many-speaking-to-many. AI provides that information to the product creators and relates the information to companies and marketers to offer a greater experience. Thus, digital information posted online can be used in a public setting. This third guide is to carefully consider the medium to establish a conduit for restricting unauthorized intrusion. Traditional ethical rules apply online as they do face-to-face. The user and the marketer should assume everything put online will become public and influence public perception. Simply put, turn the AI off, block cookies, and strategically consider the medium you are communicating.
It is possible to summarize the three guides with “Ask, Look, and Consider.” Keeping in mind that social is interaction and privacy is freedom from authorized intrusion. The three guides of asking, looking, and considering provide the user with social access in a world of digital social listening while maintaining social privacy. The three guides provide the marketer with tools of balance. Artificial Intelligence is part of our new normal and can be managed and balanced between social and private. Just don’t let the robots rise and take over the world.
It is a great and exciting time for online information. Keep at it and you know I love ya, Don
[1] Autumn Edwards, Chad Edwards, Shawn T. Wahl, Scott A Myers. The Communication Age: Connecting and Engaging, 3ed. SAGE. 2020. pg. 110
[2] Merriam-Webster, Social & Privacy. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privacy Accessed 7/18/20.
[3] David Priest. Smart Home Developers Raise Concerns About Alexa and Google Assistant Security. C/NET. March 15, 2020. https://www.cnet.com/news/smart-home-developers-raise-concerns-about-alexa-and-google-assistant-security/ Accessed 7/17/20.
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