The Pros and Cons of AI for Business

By Ella Paine

Content Specialist

June 2024

If you’re completely in the dark about AI, we have another article that explores the basics and answers some of the most common questions (read here).

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant strides, particularly in the realm of marketing copy. It may seem like a golden ticket to some marketers - it lives for criticism, doesn’t need sick leave and will always have an answer for you within seconds! So, what’s the catch?

That’s a tricky question to answer, but we have a few ideas on the topic. While AI does hold remarkable potential, potential isn’t always something you can count on. To better understand what role AI may play in the future of marketing copy, we made a list of its advantages and limitations.

Pros

Menial Tasks

AI is a perfect candidate for those repetitive but essential tasks that must be done, regardless of how unproductive they may feel to a human. This includes things like meeting transcripts, basic image retouching, data processing or scheduling. This isn’t a new concept, either—as long as engineers have been able to code, they have been ‘teaching’ devices how to perform simple activities that can save us time and energy. A very early example of this was actually not even work-related—in 1952, Arthur Samuel wrote a checkers program for an early IBM computer model

AI generated image of a person using a laptop. The computer screen is full of different coloured bar graphs.

Close view of printed bar and pie graphs

Data Analysis

AI is very capable at chewing through information—it can sift through and collate a massive amount of data in seconds. This is useful to marketers in a variety of ways, who may use AI to help them with market research and trend analysis. In today’s digital world, data is the main driver behind a lot of the decisions made around marketing budgets, campaigns and resources. You may be experiencing this more often than you realise—streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime, and others all rely on AI to analyse what you watch, and to make recommendations about what you might also like.

Mass Production

AI is a machine, literally. It spreads itself across a much larger portfolio of work than a human employee. AI can be very handy when completing bulk tasks such as generic content or simple customer support. This capability allows marketers to delegate less complex work to AI programs, so that they can focus on more nuanced tasks. If you’ve ever called a helpline or chatted with a virtual customer support bot, you’ll understand how this can be a huge timesaver (if properly implemented!) for businesses serving a large number of customers.

Generated image of hands holding a mobile phone. a group of text bubbles float above the phone screen.

Cons

AI generated image of a person playing the Fiona. Close up of two hands playing keys. The piano is backwards.

Lacks Context

AI can struggle to apply context and subtleties in language. This can inadvertently produce content that looks or sounds generic or lifeless, which might not engage the audience effectively. In an increasingly interconnected world, a keen appreciation of cultural, linguistic and historical context is invaluable to marketers around the world. Humans are better equipped to navigate these nuances and sensitivities, ensuring that the marketing copy is appropriate and well-received by diverse audiences.

Situational Blindness

Things can change in an instant for marketers, requiring a quick adaptation to respond to trends, consumer behaviour or market conditions. AI may have limited capacity to pick up and act on these changes, which could result in more work and poorer results for those relying on it to carry out certain tasks. Humans can adjust more appropriately to change, making it crucial for them to take on strategic roles, as opposed to entrusting these to AI.

AI generated image of a tractor spray a field of crops. The Tractor is driving against the crops.

AI generated image of a person working on a vehicle engine.

No ‘X’ Factor

While AI can handle basic tasks, it doesn’t always succeed in turning out refined, creative, and nuanced results. Whether it be conducting interviews, designing a billboard or composing a musical piece, AI is no substitute for the unique, living perspective that a human uses to create. High-quality marketing copy that resonates emotionally with audiences still requires that human touch. Likewise, when it comes to intricate image editing tasks, AI tools may struggle to deliver the desired results. Skilled human editors are still necessary to achieve a professional finish for most visual projects.

The Verdict

Now that we've listed out some of the main pros and cons, it’s clear that AI cannot be simply labelled as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. When it comes to marketing copy, it has both strengths and weaknesses.

AI has undoubtedly transformed the marketing landscape by automating menial tasks and enabling more data-driven decisions. Where this type of work is concerned, AI is clearly a valuable resource to increase efficiency and free up human time for more engaging work.

When it comes to more refined, creative, and contextually nuanced tasks, the expertise of human writers remains indispensable.
Like all things, we will continue to learn as we go. For now, a balanced approach is key to leverage AI for support in routine tasks, while we continue to tap into human talent for high-quality, impactful marketing content.
P.S. All the images in this blog were generated with, you guessed it, AI. Some of them are a little more accurate than others…see if you can spot the flaws!

Looking to enhance your marketing approach? Talk to our team.

Managed Marketing Contact Us

The Pros and Cons of AI for Business

Pros

Cons

Partner with us

Talk to our team about your next project.

Toowoomba

Related News

Partner with us

Talk to our team about your next project.

Toowoomba