on November 19, 2024
Advances in AI bad for business?
Nearly two years ago ChatGPT burst on to the scene. I had some thoughts back then that I shared, some good some bad.
Part of the problem with the news cycle that announced it to the world, was that it was the launch that got all the attention and after that the media moved on to the next new thing.
In the background of course all of these Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have just been getting incrementally, or maybe the word is exponentially better.
I can’t put a figure on it, but ChatGPT and other LLMs are I’m guessing maybe 5 times better than they were when I wrote the article referenced above.
The good thing is that these generative AI tools are getting much more accessible for all to use.
And this includes AI tools in other fields, specifically image creation, speech duplication, and music creation.
There are two major downsides I see with these developments from a business point of view…
1) Widespread use of AI tools
More and more businesses will be using AI generated copy to populate everything – emails, websites, chatbots, press releases, reports. You name it, anything that can be written can be written quicker and better by AI.
While this sounds good, the net effect in a dynamic market is that your contacts/customers will be swamped with AI generated content and everything will start to read and sound like everything else. It will make it harder to stand out from the crowd.
2) Scammers will have a field day
The technology is already here where a short recording – I think it’s 15 seconds – of you talking will give a speech AI enough info to completely mimic your voice.
AI programming tools can help you write code to hack everything, websites, emails etc.
The knock-on effect of this is that people will become even more sceptical of any sales or marketing approaches, even from people they know, if their voices can be mimicked too.
Nobody will trust anybody.
What’s the answer?
Legislation – maybe? That’ll be a long time coming. Some sort of blockchain solution? Ditto.
But it doesn’t harm to keep yourself abreast of all of the online threats on a regular basis AND look at any marketing/sales campaigns through the lens of a more sceptical public.