Despite CMOs’ excitement about Generative AI, only 20% of consumers are comfortable with businesses incorporating the use of GenAI into their operations, according to a survey by Gartner. A survey of 303 consumers, conducted in June and July 2023, showed that CMOs must navigate the benefits of AI adoption while carefully maintaining consumers’ trust.
We sat down with Nicole Greene, VP Analyst in the Gartner Marketing practice, to discuss the impact of widespread AI adoption on consumer trust, and how CMOs will respond in order to protect trust in their brand.
Journalists who would like to speak with Nicole regarding this topic can contact Jordan.Brackenbury@Gartner.com. Members of the media can reference this material in articles with proper attribution to Gartner.
Q: What are the risks of AI adoption for brand reputation?
A: The rapid improvements in GenAI and speed of adoption have left organizations without the frameworks required to ensure responsible use and mitigate risks.
As was mentioned earlier, consumers aren’t convinced that brands will use AI in a responsible way. Further to this, a survey of 305 consumers in May 2023 found 72% of consumers believe AI-based content generators could spread false or misleading information. Consumers are also concerned about content bias, discrimination, security risks and jobs, and they’re not entirely convinced that AI can do a better job than a human.
The challenges of AI-related brand relationships won’t be universal, but some customers will shift their behaviors based on what they perceive to be low-trust, low-truth and low-value AI-powered experiences. CMOs must become more attuned to how consumers are feeling about AI in order to protect their brand and maintain their customers’ trust.
Q: How should CMOs respond to content authenticity concerns posed by AI?
A: Gartner predicts that by 2026, 60% of CMOs will adopt content authenticity technology, enhanced monitoring and brand-endorsed user-generated content (UGC) to protect their brands from deception unleashed by GenAI.
It’s becoming easier than ever to produce fake information that looks real, or like a brand created it. As a result, brands will need to be proactive in developing strategies that focus on trust building through content ownership, investigation and responding to fake information.
We’re already seeing spurious AI-generated deepfakes hitting the headlines, and content authenticity will become critical for organizations that want to protect their brands. Brands that harness the power of GenAI while implementing mechanisms that build trust with their customers will differentiate themselves from their competition.
As brands create more content with the help of AI, transparency around its use will become increasingly necessary to maintain trust with customers. This approach spans content creation, content refinement and assurance that UGC, such as customer stories and reviews, remains authentic. Early examples of these mechanisms include transparency disclosures and disclaimers around data collection and use.
Furthermore, CMOs will take steps to ensure their agency partners and vendors have clear policies around the use of GenAI in order to meet responsible use standards. Technology, including image capture, will need to have embedded content authenticity features to ensure authenticity, a key element to successful adoption and maintaining trust.
Q: What must CMOs do to protect their brand?
A: In order to protect their brand and maintain consumers’ trust, CMOs must:
- Stay highly attuned to customer perceptions about use of AI. Attitudes about AI are rapidly evolving, so savvy CMOs will be aware of where customers are most wary of AI-powered experiences and content in order to take steps to maintain trust.
- Build cross-functional responsible use and content authenticity teams. These teams should span functions including marketing, data science, legal, PR and IT to ensure all brand content adheres to guidelines. Other activities should include social media monitoring, rapid response to brand reputation challenges, and monitoring changing technology requirements.
- Supplement their content pipeline with curated and cultivated UGC. This will generate brand trust while improving product discovery, and it will create a more engaging customer experience. UGC about brands is being created every day — marketers can identify it “in the wild” and reuse it (with permission) or cultivate it through campaigns meant to encourage UGC creation.
- Be clear, cautious and strategic about customer-facing AI. It’s inevitable that AI will become tightly woven into the operations of most marketing organizations, but the most thoughtful CMOs will be mindful of where AI will be most beneficial in enabling operations versus where it should be applied more directly to customer-facing experiences.
Gartner clients can learn more in the report: “Predicts 2024: How AI Will Reshape Marketing.” Additional information is available in the associated Gartner webinar.
About the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo
Gartner analysts will discuss the key issues facing CMOs during the Gartner Marketing Symposium/Xpo, taking place May 13-14 in London and June 3-5, in Denver. This conference provides marketing leaders with actionable advice about the trends, tools and emerging technologies they need to deliver business results. Follow news and updates for the conference on the Gartner Newsroom and on X and LinkedIn using #GartnerMKTG.
