As a disclaimer, the following article was not written by ChatGPT.
It’s sort of funny that to start off 2023, the most controversial and pressing topic for many businesses revolves around the statement above. Companies and entrepreneurs everywhere have been trying for decades to come up with a set of digital solutions to all of their problems. And now that something truly technologically revolutionary has come along, we’ve lost our minds and have no idea how to use it.
“It’s going to take my job.”
“It writes just as perfectly as I ever could.”
“My advertising and email copy is going to be the best in the industry.”
“I don’t have to do nearly as much work.”
You’ve probably heard some combination of the above over the last few weeks. And to be honest, they all sound ridiculous. To go one step further, most of them are a gross oversimplification. There isn’t any functionality that ChatGPT has that doesn’t require human interaction (a bit more on this later.) And there isn’t an aspect of any business that can be completely reliant upon a piece of technology with an unproven track record of success. We all love the bells and whistles of new technology, we just can’t be so quick to abandon ship and begin thinking that the way business is done has completely changed overnight. AI isn’t the answer right now. But we are getting closer.
Here’s a perfect example of a workflow between a new client and a digital marketing agency (the digital marketing agency using ChatGPT to accomplish the client’s stated objectives).
CLIENT: I’d like for my customers to know my value proposition is sustainability. All of the products we make are from 100% recycled material and are shipped using carbon neutral transportation.
DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY: “*ChatGPT: Can you write an email marketing copy for a company that is focused on sustainability to let customers know they use 100% recycled material and carbon neutral transportation?”
CHAT GPT: “Sure! “Are you worried about the future of the planet?” In short, climate change is a real problem and to navigate the challenges it presents we need to focus on as many strategies as possible that reduce carbon emissions.”
How would you feel if you were the client and that was the email copy that digital marketing agency presented to you? What would you think? I would be mad. Yes, ChatGPT did provide some fancy words and sort of made it seem like it was talking about something the company has in their value proposition, but really has zero substance. It’s a terrible email copy. AI doesn’t account for anything unique about the business. It doesn’t know anything about the company, it’s never met the client, it’s never seen the company’s customers and interacted with them to better understand how their product could be improved or changed. ChatGPT just doesn’t know.
From the digital marketing agencies perspective, they gave the client what they wanted and they were able to do it without much effort at all. From the client’s perspective, they got an “email copy in a box” with no substance. And until somebody who is in charge of ad-spend notices that the email copy they are paying for is basically useless, the agency will continue to get paid for executing a digital marketing campaign with no value. A campaign written entirely from the lens of artificial intelligence.
So what can you do? You can make a concerted effort to understand everything you can about this new technology, and as it progresses, rely on those with experience to help you understand it better. And when the time comes, implement it into smaller tasks within your organization and see how things go. If it makes certain aspects of the operations of your company easier, it’s perfectly fine to continue on. As the technology advances, so will the ease of which it can be integrated into your existing IT infrastructure. It’s only going to get better. But we can’t rely on it just yet.
It’s perfectly fine to be optimistic about the future of artificial intelligence and the capabilities it might bring to your business. But it is not the “final answer” to all of your company’s unique needs. While it might make certain aspects of your daily work schedule a bit less tedious, none of the AI solutions offered by ChatGPT and similar programs will replace the operational infrastructure that makes your business “tick.” You simply won’t find an AI-driven software that can carry out the necessary combination of activities and agile prioritization that is present within a well-run organization. Delegation isn’t something ChatGPT is programmed to do. Nor is the ability to make quick decisions which are underpinned by emotional intelligence. There is simply far too much going on within the ecosystem of modern business for us to let AI completely take over.
So, you might be asking yourself, why are you telling me all of this? To be honest, it’s something that needs to be addressed in every meeting across every industry over the coming weeks at least briefly. Employees need to be aware of this new technology and how it might bring a potential benefit to their daily work lives… they should be informed and understand how they can properly use it to make their day easier and certain tasks a bit less tedious and repetitive. But they should also have a very clear message from those in charge that this technology isn’t a substitute for the processes and experience that have made the company successful or brought it to this point. AI doesn’t know your customers or your product, and it certainly doesn’t know how to delegate tasks among a group of people with diverse needs and interests. And it can’t quickly adjust to a changing marketplace where the price of goods can skyrocket, supply chains can bottleneck, consumers preferences can shift, and so many other variables.
In order to succeed in 2023 with all of the new advancements in technology that have everyone riled up, it’s crucial for business owners and leadership teams to take a step back and reflect on the actual value new technology and processes provide, rather than going all in. We just need to see more evidence first.
