by As it becomes increasingly difficult to get the attention of executives and consumers through email and advertisements, many companies are turning to Artificial Intelligence. But the real question remains, what are the ethics behind corporations using bots to promote their goods and services?
Chatbots have shown real ROI to many businesses and at times have proven more effective than an under-trained salesforce. An Oracle survey has shown that Chatbots could save $174 Billion across Insurance, Financial Services, Sales, and Customer Service. With vast abilities, including the ability to chat with actual human dialogue it’s no wonder companies are so eager and quick to turn to this advancement in AI. Should a company be ethically responsible to share with consumers that they are chatting with a bot? Is this on the consumer to “beware” of bots? Do we as a society care? Should we care?
Influencer Bots, like LilMiquela and Shudu, use CGI and are run by companies specializing in Artificial Intelligence to blend the lines between reality and robot. These two influencer bots have amassed almost 2 million followers and “LilMiquela” is touted as “Musician, change-seeker, and robot with the drip💧💖” in her Instagram Bio. These bots are influencing the purchases we make, the culture we enjoy and now even the music industry. Lil Miquela’s profile is at least honest that she is a bot but Shudu’s bio vaguely states: “The World’s First Digital Supermodel.”
In a world where social media is influencing so many consumer purchasing decisions, especially in younger demographics, is it even ethical to create an influencer bot?
Gaming bots, when used as intended, can often enhance the gaming experience. For example, Fortnite has upped their bots’ ability in order to maintain an enjoyable experience for new comers in their vast online community. However, most gamers know that bots have often been abused since the idea of using an algorithm to replace a human online became a reality. Many have used the bot technology to their advantage and there are companies out there doing something about it. Niantic, creator of one of the most popular cell phone apps ever, Pokemon Go, has been extremely strict on bots and gamers trying to cheat the system, going so far as to take legal action.
With bots becoming one of the most common Artificial Intelligence interacted with daily we need to start questioning the ethical implications. How are AI empowered bots improving our daily lives? What are the implications of influencer bots like Lil Miquela and Shudu on the future of our society? How aware are you that Artificial Intelligence is impacting your purchasing decisions?
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