Navigating the Ethics of AI in Marketing
From Think Patented The Noodle, Vol. 15 Issue 4
STEVE ROOP doesn’t race to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into every client-facing deliverable. Instead, his team at the Littlefield Agency takes a measured approach—one focused on using AI for internal efficiencies rather than outward content creation. The cautious approach mostly leverages AI in situations where it can perform a big task faster, or help wade through data and bring back insights.
While the Littlefield Agency has built tools around onboarding, billing consolidation and media analysis, they are mostly internal at this point. That’s not to say they’re ignoring AI’s potential. They just believe in guardrails. All the data they feed into AI systems remains inside business accounts and doesn’t get used to train external models. “We keep it walled off from external training or usage,” says Roop, Littlefield’s AI and Content Director. “That’s key to keeping trust intact.”
For many marketers, AI presents an exciting frontier packed with the promise of efficiency, personalization and accelerated results. But along with that promise comes a new layer of responsibility. As today’s marketers tap AI to automate content, optimize campaigns and analyze consumer behavior, it’s not just about what they can do, but about what they should do, too.
That tension—between innovation and ethics—is where marketing leaders are spending more of their time, especially as consumers grow increasingly sensitive to data privacy, algorithmic fairness and brand authenticity. “AI isn’t able to really replicate a complicated piece of B2B equipment 100%,” Roop says. “It’s just not quite there for us yet, but we know it will be shortly. When it is, we’ll do what we always do with clients—communicate the options and weigh the pros and cons.”
Roop says the most effective uses of AI to date have been in analysis—not creation. “We’ve used AI to analyze competitor content against what we’re creating. It’s about leveraging data for insights rather than trying to automate the creative side. It’s tricky, but we haven’t really hit a spot where we’ve had to worry about issues like data privacy much yet. Everything we do is behind walled systems and is more data-driven than content-driven.”
That careful calibration shows up in day-to-day decision-making. For example, Roop once used AI to replicate a client’s voice for a podcast intro—only after full transparency and client buy-in. “It was easier than having him read the script 50 times to hit the right inflections. But we discussed it up front. That kind of honesty matters.”
In today’s ever-changing landscape to get the best results more efficiently and effectively than ever before, Roop understands the important role marketers play in shaping the future of ethical AI. “Marketing obviously deals with a lot of data. Keeping that protected is paramount if we even want to think about maintaining the public’s trust. People are already suspicious of giving an email or using cookies. AI perceptions are only going to fuel that fire. We’ve got to get ahead of it.”
Want more insights like this? Dive into The Noodle, Vol. 15 Issue 4 for fresh perspectives on marketing, technology, and creativity. Read the full issue here.
Curious about what’s possible? Let’s talk—consultations are always free! Just fill out the form below or give us a call at 937.353.2299.