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Strategies for Ethical AI Use in 

To avoid falling into these “pitfalls” of AI in marketing use, here are key strategies that digital marketers can adopt to ensure the technology is used ethically in all  day-to-day operations.

Conduct Ethics-Based Audits

Regular ethics-based audits help businesses assess the fairness, transparency, and impact of their AI-driven marketing initiatives.

To align AI with ethical and regulatory standards, researchers from Oxford and Bologna developed capAI (Conformity Assessment Procedure for AI), a framework for assessing AI’s fairness, transparency, and compliance with laws like the EU AI Act.

IBM has also developed the AI Fairness 360 Toolkit, an open-source library that contains over 70 fairness metrics and algorithms.

By integrating capAI into an ethics-based audit, companies can identify biases in ad targeting, ensure consumer privacy protections, and validate AI-driven marketing decisions.

  • Bias detection and fairness assessments: Run tests to identify biases in ad targeting and personalization algorithms. Make sure to also understand how tech companies are using AI for tools that you use daily in campaigns etc. Watch out for announcements or blog posts from big tech companies that explain the latest development in their training models. As marketers, these subjects can get a bit too technical so don’t hesitate to reach out to companies whose AI tools you’re planning to use.
  • Compliance checks: Verify that AI usage aligns with data protection laws like GDPR or CCPA.

2. Develop Clear AI Use Policies

Companies need well-defined policies telegram number database that govern AI deployment in marketing.

  • Define AI’s role: Clarify when AI is used for personalization, automation, or decision-making. Then let users know via your website or other platforms.
  • Set ethical boundaries: Ensure AI does not engage in manipulative practices, such as deepfake advertising.
  • Enforce human oversight: AI should assist marketing efforts, not replace ethical decision-making by humans.

You can review our Membership Update if you want more guidance on developing an AI policy.

3. Ensure Data Responsibility

Handling consumer data ethically is a cornerstone of responsible AI use. Marketers must prioritize data minimization, anonymization, and security to protect consumer privacy.

  • Data minimization: Collect only the data necessary for marketing campaigns and avoid excessive tracking.
  • Anonymization: Support companies and tools that remove personally identifiable information from datasets used to train AI models.
  • Secure storage: Use encryption and secure storage practices to prevent data breaches.

4. Foster Transparency

Consumers should be aware when AI is influencing their marketing experiences. Transparent AI use builds trust and reassures users that their data is being handled ethically.

  • Label AI-generated content: Indicate when AI is used to create ads, chatbots, or product recommendations.
  • Provide user controls: Allow consumers to adjust AI-driven personalization settings.
  • Disclose AI’s role in decision-making: Explain how AI influences pricing, targeting, and content recommendations.

5. Upskill Team Members in AI

Ethical AI use in marketing is only possible when professionals stay informed about AI advancements, risks, and best practices. Continuous learning ensures that marketing teams understand AI’s potential pitfalls and ethical implications.

  • Provide AI ethics training: Offer workshops and courses on responsible AI use. Better yet, educate your employees on AI ethics.
  • Encourage knowledge sharing: Keep teams updated on AI regulations, industry trends, and ethical debates. Aside from teams, make sure your clients are well aware of the newest trends in AI. While marketing firms may find it daunting to explain these concepts to clients in fear of being replaced by these AI tools, highlighting the amount of work that goes into managing these tools may dissuade the clients altogether.
  • Promote interdisciplinary collaboration: Involve legal, ethics, and tech experts in your organization in AI marketing decisions.

6. Reinforce Human Guidance in Every Step

Using AI for your campaigns is not a matter understanding the relationship of simply pushing some buttons to create content or run ads using AI — human intervention is still needed.

From strategy and content creation to campaign setup, publishing, and execution, human oversight is essential at every stage. While automation improves efficiency, regular human review ensures ethical compliance, as well as alignment with brand values.

This is a point that OpenAI, the company that owns ChatGPT, tried to make in its Super Bowl commercial that celebrates human creativity.

7. Be a Watchdog For Ethical AI Use in Digital Marketing

Whether you’re a content creator, marketing global seo work executive, or part of a digital advertising agency, how can you play a role in promoting ethical AI use?

The Gobelins case came to light only because students and vloggers spoke up, creating videos to call out the use of AI-generated images. Discuss these issues with your teams, stay informed, and don’t hesitate to hold other businesses accountable when they blur ethical lines.

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