🥺 The worst way to implement AI

A monthly communications newsletter from Ann Handley (with a monthly picture of her dog.) [MarketingProfs Communication Today] June 2023 Did you see this news headline earlier this month? "ChatGPT took their jobs. Now they walk dogs and fix air conditioners," [it read](. The relevant quotes are highlighted below: [The Washington Post Innovations article] Woof. That stings. And that last line...? It makes my heart sink. It sinks not because I'm precious about writing or writers. (I am—but I recognize that not everyone is.) Instead, my heart sinks because of something more troubling. * * * The value of great content and writing has often been misunderstood. Yet the attitude toward AI adoption suggested by that piece ("For many companies, the cost-cutting is worth a drop in quality") is more than tragic... It's downright irresponsible. It's completely wrongheaded. It's whacked. Because what's "quality" mean, anyway? "Quality" means trustworthy, inspired, customer-obsessed empathetic content. It means content we've crafted that could come only from us (our brands, our companies). Said another way (from the new edition of [Everybody Writes](Rk6fw/VlFCQ3BZVlIzMDVBQnFmcUE3Y0FDS0s2Yi82d0JVZXdGL0ZMVjl3RTZhcDJjQW1UQVpnUm01bjNRandvcWhLTWVzSWhrWmN5K0ZLM3czYUxBaUMvRE9ja29NbE1ZcUZLcVFSbnRGM0xWVWZxbk1IVGVxRTkwQT09S0/)): Quality content=empathy x useful x inspired "Drop in quality"=unremarkable, boring, me-too marketing "Drop in quality"=commodity content "Drop in quality"=a mudslide-like erosion of customer trust Oof. (And don't even get my going on "churning out" content from that quote.) * * * I'm a fan of AI tools. They are useful tools. But sweet Cheez-Its... blindly implementing them with consideration of zero long-term, broader consequences is nuts. It's a recipe for the nuttiest Nutloaf Disaster. * * * Right now, most of us talk about AI as just a Marketing or Content issue. But that's changing. News that generative AI capabilities will within a few months be embedded in tools we use every day from Microsoft and Google and the like—means that how we write everything from emails to legal briefs will change. For worse (but I hope) for the better. (I'm an optimist.) Maybe one way to think about this is not be like that company... the "good enough" companies firing the writers, happy to watch customer trust slip into the sea. Maybe a better way is to thoughtfully implement AI tools to benefit not just the business... but our ***customers***. Remember them? 😊 [Ann Handley] [Ann Handley] Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs Author, Everybody Writes: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content [MarketingProfs | AI for Content Creators](7gfP/VlFCQ3BZVlIzMDVBQnFmcUE3Y0FDS0s2Yi82d0JVZXdGL0ZMVjl3RTZhcDJjQW1UQVpnUm01bjNRandvcWhLTWVzSWhrWmN5K0ZLM3czYUxBaUMvRE9ja29NbE1ZcUZLcVFSbnRGM0xWVWZxbk1IVGVxRTkwQT09S0/) The Art of Crafting Effective AI Prompts June 21, 12 noon ET | Online webinar; free Have you played with AI tools but been disappointed with the output? Do you suspect you could get better results if you just knew how to use them? Join this free session from the AI for Content Creators series (see below for link to full program) to discover the power of effective prompts for AI writing platforms like ChatGPT. [AI for Content Creators Full Program]( A new virtual event about how you can use AI to boost your productivity, your creativity, and your career. Nine Weekly Sessions: June 21–August 15 [online, free for PRO members] [Don't miss it ►]( Marketing Communication Resources [Article] [The Future of Content Marketing: 5 Predictions](/VlFCQ3BZVlIzMDVBQnFmcUE3Y0FDS0s2Yi82d0JVZXdGL0ZMVjl3RTZhcDJjQW1UQVpnUm01bjNRandvcWhLTWVzSWhrWmN5K0ZLM3czYUxBaUMvRE9ja29NbE1ZcUZLcVFSbnRGM0xWVWZxbk1IVGVxRTkwQT09S0/) [Article] I love Oracle exec and email guru Chad White's take on the future—and I agree with most of them (especially #3). [Tool] [Ask Our AI Tool Anything About Marketing]( [Tool] [Article] [Slow Marketing: How to Deliver Faster Results by Slowing Down]( [Article] This classic piece relates directly to the Washington Post article above. [Workshops] [B2B Marketing Forum Workshops](/VlFCQ3BZVlIzMDVBQnFmcUE3Y0FDS0s2Yi82d0JVZXdGL0ZMVjl3RTZhcDJjQW1UQVpnUm01bjNRandvcWhLTWVzSWhrWmN5K0ZLM3czYUxBaUMvRE9ja29NbE1ZcUZLcVFSbnRGM0xWVWZxbk1IVGVxRTkwQT09S0/) [In-person] A Message From Augie Handley [Augie!] Passengers rate this Lyft driver 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ [MarketingProfs] Your Communication Today Team Your team for this issue (in alphabetical order): Megan Cordero, production director; Vahe Habeshian, publications director; Ann Handley, chief content officer; Augie Handley, naps expert. [MarketingProfs]( Copyright © 2000–2023 MarketingProfs, LLC All Rights Reserved This email was sent to {EMAIL} as part of your MarketingProfs subscription. If you prefer to no longer receive MarketingProfs Communication Today, you can always [leave this list](. Did someone who cares about you forward this to you? [Subscribe here]( to get your own copy. MarketingProfs, LLC | 1985 Riviera Dr, Ste 103-17 | Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 | (866) 557-9625