Artificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential for content marketing. Not only does AI have the ability to parse mind-boggling amounts of data and unearth patterns that allow you to create content that resonates with your audience. Generative AI and smart AI assistants can also help you optimize your content creation workflows.
However, when it comes to harnessing AI for data analysis and content generation, there are several legal and ethical concerns that marketers need to take into account. First and foremost among them is data privacy.
Here’s all you need to know.
Why does data privacy matter in AI for content marketing?
When you harness AI for content marketing or personalization, data privacy is essential for several reasons.
First and foremost, there is customers’ perception. A recent survey found that most people (58%) are open to companies using AI to generate recommendations based on their search history, for instance. However, 82% of consumers also say they are “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” about how companies’ use of AI for marketing could affect their online privacy.
This highlights that the use of AI and the data privacy concerns accompanying it are issues of trust first and foremost.
And rightfully so.
Worries such as AI de-anonymising personal data or being targeted in high-level data breaches by cybercriminals are valid. In addition, if applied over-zealously, AI personalization can feel intrusive, inappropriate, and creepy.
Given all this, it’s hardly surprising that a Consumer Privacy Survey recently found that 60% of people are concerned about how companies use AI. Fully 65% have already lost trust in businesses as a result of their AI practices.
What legal regulations apply to AI in content marketing?
When it comes to the legal frameworks that apply to AI in content marketing, things currently are unfortunately ill-defined. Over the past few years, tools and technologies have been developing too fast for legislators to keep up. AI capabilities are now found in business phone systems just as much as on social media.
However, there are a few regulations that absolutely do apply when it comes to data privacy, including data used by AI tools and models.
On an international level, the most significant of these is the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It also affects non-EU companies that cater to the EU market.
The GDPR is based on the principle of transparency. It requires that you communicate how you process personal data in a clear, concise, and easily accessible way. It also gives users the right to request access to and delete their data.
Currently, the EU is also working on an AI Act that would specifically regulate AI tools. For instance, the EU Parliament recently proposed an addition requiring companies to disclose copyrighted material used in AI development and training.
In general, European legislators take a dim view of weak data privacy when it comes to AI. In April 2023, for instance, Italy even temporarily banned ChatGPT over data privacy concerns.
In the US, legislation such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) can affect the use of AI in marketing.
Can you still use AI in content marketing and personalization?
Despite all the concerns and legal considerations outlined above, it is still absolutely possible to harness AI for content marketing and personalization. As long as you keep certain data privacy safeguards in place and adhere to transparency requirements.
When it comes to data security, it’s crucial to implement strong authentication procedures and to implement robust encryption. You should also regularly back up your data and carry out security audits to spot any potential weaknesses in your AI tools and data collection process.
On the transparency side, you have to let customers know how you collect and use their data and how it factors into any algorithmic decision-making process that affects them. In addition, you have to make sure that customers can have quick access to their data if they request it and that it can be deleted.
All of this should be clearly outlined in your privacy policy, which also needs to be regularly updated by compliance experts. Especially considering that we’re likely to see a flurry of legislative activity around AI tools and data collection in the coming months.
However, you also have the opportunity to build customer trust by going further than the legally required minimum when it comes to transparency.
Let your users know exactly how you hold yourself accountable for the actions and decisions you make using AI. What data standards do you adhere to? How do you work to avoid biases in your algorithms?
Overall, all of this will help your customers understand how you build and use your AI models. That way, they can feel more comfortable and confident both in your brand and the tools you use for content marketing and decision-making.
Final Thoughts
Harnessing AI for content marketing is an essential step going forward. However, as you leverage AI tools to gain insights into your audience, streamline your content production, and personalize communications, it’s essential to keep data privacy in mind.
Hold yourself to the highest data security standards and be as transparent as you can about how you gather and use data. That way, you will be able to build customer trust, not only in your AI data capabilities but also in your brand as a whole.
