By Michael Brenner for Marketing Insider Group
Robots and artificial intelligence have fascinated people for decades. Some have predicted amazing advancements and a world like “The Jetsons,” while others fear the disadvantages of AI.
The reality is probably somewhere closer to the middle. Still, anyone who wants to use AI in marketing (or business in general) should be fully aware of its pros and cons.
We’ve done our due diligence and uncovered nine disadvantages of AI you may have never considered.
Key Takeaways:
- The top disadvantages of AI include a low ROI, as well as unimaginative and emotionless content.
- AI can instigate laziness in its users and produce low-quality or inaccurate results.
- How AI collects and shares information raises ethical concerns.
- Shortsighted companies may prematurely cut jobs due to overconfidence in AI.
Why You Should Be Aware of the Disadvantages of AI
Don’t get us wrong: At MIG, we’re huge fans of technology and anything that can make life easier. However, it’s easy to leap onto a promising new thing only to find costly drawbacks later.
Look at it like this: AI is a powerful tool with a lot of potential, but so is a chainsaw. The results you get depend on how you use the instrument.
Understanding the dangers and disadvantages of AI helps protect everyone.
1. High Costs for Low Return on Investment
Adequately mimicking human intelligence is not cheap. The more complex the task, the harder it is to get passable results.
As a result, most companies need to invest in expensive hardware and software to get the best out of AI. Multiple outlets concur that massive datasets are necessary to get useful outputs.
Additionally, many people think of AI as being a timesaver that lets you “set it and forget it.” However, all automation requires humans to review every move to catch mistakes or missteps.
For that reason, you might still incur substantial labor costs that you were hoping to save on by using AI.
2. Little or No Imagination
One of the top disadvantages of AI is the lack of creativity. Programs can only follow inputs and patterns and cannot display the exciting randomness that humans exhibit.
While we value computers for their predictability, that repetitiveness also lacks the humanity and imagination that we crave from our content. If you rely too much on AI, what you produce will sound similar and become bland.
This predictability also means one robot will always be able to sniff out another. Someone will catch inauthentic AI-generated content sooner or later.
3. Limited Improvement
One great thing about humans is that we’re always trying to outdo ourselves. The four-minute mile, the moon landing, and the creation of ice cream (🍦😋) are all ways we have excelled as a species.
Another disadvantage of AI is it doesn’t have the innate ability to learn from its experience and mistakes. While companies have created automated learning modules, machines have limits to the scope of what they can accomplish and generally only focus on one area at a time.
4. A Lack of Emotion
Robotic commerce would be perfect if people only made purchasing decisions solely on facts. In reality, everyone knows that feelings play a significant role in convincing a person or business to separate from their hard-earned money to obtain a worthy product or service.
We have long preached at MIG that your content needs emotion and personality to catch the right kind of attention. You have to genuinely connect with communities you can complement.
Beyond creating content without genuine emotion, robot-generated material can lack sensitivity in a world that constantly updates its understanding of inclusion and equity. Unfortunately, AI outputs can even display an unintended bias.
5. Laziness and Indecisiveness
Let’s remember our good friend George Jetson tiring out from pushing a button to discover another of the primary disadvantages of AI: laziness. The temptation with any new technology is to become overly dependent on it.
If AI starts handling most of our choices, intelligent people may struggle with generating good product ideas and marketing. Some experts foresee an increasing difficulty with decision-making and complex thinking that could arise from an over reliance on AI.
6. Ethical Concerns
AI raises numerous ethical worries. This technology has to collect information to share information, but where is that knowledge coming from?
Most of us opt into long contracts for apps without understanding the full ramifications because we need the functionality. We can only hope that the tech giants aren’t abusing our trust in their automated programs.
Also, AI displays the power to collect data on people without direct access to a person’s information. Before opting in to using software that offers amazing AI promises, discover what it wants from you in return.
7. Unnecessary Unemployment
Most conversations about the disadvantages of AI center around the “machines taking our jobs.” However, history proves that every technological advancement creates a new set of tasks for humans to fulfill.
Think about it: We have hundreds of more “time-saving” gadgets than a century ago. Still, we easily fill up a 40, 50, or 60-hour workweek.
What may happen, though, is that companies jump to eliminate jobs unnecessarily without comprehending how to shift human employees to more skilled assignments.
For example, mechanization and computerization didn’t so much eliminate auto industry jobs as they did move the need for skilled workers to other areas. The companies that anticipated the shift are the current winners in the market.
The same is true for sales and marketing. Machines can do an excellent job of collecting and segmenting buyer data.
Still, human data analysts will become more necessary to maximize the use of that intel. Also, sharp marketers and sales representatives will still be necessary to convince educated buyers who are on the fence.
8. Incorrect Information
Early markers of the disadvantages of AI are the inaccurate and misleading statements these programs have produced. Anyone who thinks they can simply set up a program to create content will end up needing to make embarrassing retractions and explanations, like CNET.
AI-generated programs will always lack discernment in telling truth from fiction. (Honestly, even we humans have a hard time deciphering legitimate from “fake” news at times.)
9. A Lack of Quality SEO
High-quality search engine optimization is becoming more of a refined art and not just something you can toss into your content as an afterthought.
For example, content can’t just have keywords. You need long-tail keywords with natural and strategic placement. Unfortunately, AI can’t yet deliver on that.
Real Help for Navigating the Advantages and Disadvantages of AI
AI holds immense potential but also possible drawbacks. One thing is clear: You have to use it wisely in your marketing efforts to get positive results.
