20 Apr Artificial Intelligence
You’ve probably seen it all over the news, read about it on social media, or even talked about it with your friends; artificial intelligence (or AI) is here. There have been truly remarkable leaps forward in the past year, most notably the viral craze of ChatGPT, the ethics surrounding AI-generated images and text, and the bidding wars and competing properties from tech giants such as Google and Bing. Your immediate reaction may be fear and worry that AI is going to take away jobs or lead to the rise of the machines. But fear not, we’re not quite at SkyNet artificial intelligence yet.
Whether you realize it or not, artificial intelligence is already an integral part of many programs and sites that we use daily. Amazon and Netflix utilize AI to recommend products and content, while MailChimp touts the ability to send emails when your list is most active or most likely to read them. The social media scheduler Later even offers AI caption writing for its paid subscribers. And don’t forget about Facebook and Meta, which tailors ads to users based on demographics, interests, search history, and more.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence can be defined as a type of computer software used to simulate human thought. Under that overarching classification lie the four types of artificial intelligence, with each stage building upon the one before it.
The four types of artificial intelligence include:
- reactive machines
- limited memory
- theory of mind
- self-aware
Reactive machines include technology that responds to external stimuli in real time, but is unable to build or store information for later use. Limited memory machines can store knowledge and use it to learn and train for the future. Theory of mind is the concept of AI that can sense and respond to human emotions in addition to performing the tasks of limited memory machines. Lastly, self-aware AI is touted as the final stage in which machines can recognize the emotions of others and have a sense of self with human level intelligence.
With reactive machines being a spam filter and self-aware AI being SkyNet, where are we now? As of November 2022, ChatGPT performed like a nine-year-old child in theory of mind tests. With computers now able to answer the age-old question “are you smarter than a fourth grader,” does that mean you can use artificial intelligence for your marketing needs, or when demonstrating your expertise in your field? Answer this: would you hire a nine-year-old to take charge of any important aspect of your business? Or would you be worried about that nine-year-old running you out of your own business?
Best Uses for AI
Let’s take a look at another industry disrupting service, Canva. Canva is to graphic designers as ChatGPT is to wordsmiths, but it’s not the enemy. Canva acts as an equalizer in allowing small businesses and individuals to create their own custom graphics without needing a professional designer. But just because Canva is an inexpensive and easy to use system, it does not mean that we no longer need graphic designers. Canva is limited in its scope and abilities, and though its products can be customized to reflect your brand and business, Canva cannot do it all. There will always be higher level or more involved graphic design projects that require the skills of a professional.
So how can we put AI to use? AI copywriters like ChatGPT and Jasper work well as efficiency tools and idea generators. ChatGPT in particular can be programmed to answer frequently asked questions, troubleshoot common problems, and direct customers to resources on your site. It can even answer in multiple languages, eliminating the need for a translator in customer service. Both ChatGPT and Jasper can help repurpose content into social media captions, blogs, articles, and more. Jasper gives you options for creating tone in its content so your voice and style still comes through. For ideation, try using the AI content creators for brainstorming around a problem or generating creative writing based around a theme. You could even use it for creating innovation within your products or services by providing information about your target audience or customers.
Where AI Fails
Of course, artificial intelligence can’t do it all. It’s important to remember that your brand has a unique story to tell, and you don’t want to lose that by relying solely on AI-generated content. Any responses generated by AI still need to be proofed for accuracy and bias. Remember when we talked about how ChatGPT behaves like a 9-year-old child? Much like a 9-year-old child, it has been shown to create confident and entirely inaccurate content. When the software has a larger pool of information to pull from, such as business development or beauty, it can create better and more accurate content. But when it comes to more niche content like crafting, the software very confidently provides inaccurate information. One person has taken to asking ChatGPT to create crochet patterns. The results were hard to follow, and in some areas impossible. All AI-generated content, but especially long-form content like blogs and articles, should be viewed more as rough drafts or outlines. AI can help streamline processes and come up with new ideas, but it’s your brand’s expertise and voice that will set you apart.
When it comes to branding, it’s important to remember that while everyone can sound like an expert in print, it’s up to you to show people that you are the expert. Video is not going away anytime soon, and it’s a chance for your brand to differentiate itself even further. Whether it’s creating product demos or explainer videos, or even just showcasing your company culture, video can help you connect with your audience in a way that AI-generated content simply can’t.
We hope this brief introduction on artificial intelligence in the crafting world has been helpful. Looking for more ways to create community and diversify your revenue streams? Stitchcraft Marketing is a marketing agency of human crafting experts. We customize every program to showcase your brand, engage your customer base, and generate sales in a way that is nothing less than magical. If you’d like to work with us, contact us today to get started!
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