At TEAM LEWIS, we saw an opportunity to offer support. We launched our breakfast panel event series – AI in Marketing – to help unravel the complex world of AI. And in the first session, brought together a diverse mix of experts in front of an audience containing players from across the industry and beyond. Amid the EU parliament’s recent announcement of the first major set of regulatory rules, and increasing interest in and usage of AI across the industry and beyond, our panellists explored the ethical and reputational hurdles brands face – and the solutions for overcoming them.
The panel, hosted on Tuesday 4th June at Charlotte Street Hotel, was comprised of Mike Pierides, Partner at Morgan Lewis, Andy Cridland, Director and Global Head of Brand, Planning & Innovation at BlackRock, Rosanne Kincaid-Smith, Group COO of Northern Data Group, and Matt Berry, former Head of Brand at Channel 4. It also included our very own AI panellist, AImee, who answered several questions throughout the discussion. Moderated by Senior Copywriter in our global creative team, Beth Abel, the conversation highlighted uncertainty about the role of AI and how this might evolve over time.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the technology, it’s unsurprising that the consensus from our panel was to tread carefully. Andy explained that marketers tend to suffer from ‘Magpie Syndrome,’ and are “attracted to new, shiny toys even when the benefits and implications aren’t fully understood.” His advice to businesses that are considering implementing AI as part of their strategies was to “dip your toes in the water, but don’t jump in with both feet.” He also noted the risk of overthinking among decision-makers. Instead, he recommended that they test and learn, making considered choices without causing “paralysis through analysis.”
This echoed the sentiment of fellow panellist Matt, who advised brands to avoid simply “jumping on the AI bandwagon.” He detailed his experiences of the technology from a brand and marketing perspective, stressing the importance of having a collective group of people to assess the opportunity it presents. In his most recent role at Channel 4, this took the form of a designated ‘AI task force’. He said the group was established to take an “experimental approach” to AI and its uses. Matt believes it’s important to remain optimistic about the technology, while recognising that “you’re going to get it wrong along the way.”
When it comes to data, though, businesses must exercise caution. Giving away valuable information for AI training purposes without fully understanding the ownership and usage implications can be risky, according to Mike. He went on to give invaluable insight into the regulatory frameworks that are being developed, and shared his view that bias is “a big issue in AI.” He added that protection against bias ultimately comes down to governance and legislation, ever-changing and complex areas. But advised that businesses consider their third-party relationships. “Assess whether or not your providers are checking their own algorithms and the outputs for bias,” was his recommendation for now, but he reminded the audience that bias “will continue to be an issue going forward.”
Rosanne also shared her beliefs around bias. She concluded that ever achieving ‘zero bias’ is “completely impractical,” highlighting that whatever you put into an AI model indicates what you will get out of it. Based on how it ‘learns’ from the masses of data inputted into it, “you’re never going to escape bias,” she said. Rosanne also touched on another contentious topic around AI: sustainability. By explaining one of Northern Data Group’s initiatives, which involves using excess energy from their data centres to heat homes in local communities, she offered a glimpse into what the future might hold for mitigating the environmental impacts of AI.
From subjects such as sustainability and regulation to data governance and engaging usage, our panellists provided four varied but equally interesting perspectives on the role of AI in today’s world. But due to the nature of AI – expansive and evolving – we only scratched the surface, and were left wanting more. That’s why we’re already planning the next AI in Marketing event, in which we’ll invite a new set of experts to discuss this evolving topic.
