• by Todd Wasserman , May 15, 2023

Generative AI is still new, but some marketing leaders are already using it for lead generation and personalized outreach, according to a new study from McKinsey.

That study found  90% of commercial leaders expect to use gen AI solutions “often” over the next two years.

Also, companies that invest in AI are seeing a revenue uplift of 3% to 15%, and a sales ROI uplift of 10% to 20%.

Nevertheless, some issues remain that business leaders should consider when using AI. Among them are:

Data availability and quality: Generative AI requires large amounts of data to be trained effectively. Difficulty in obtaining or collecting relevant data can limit the scope and efficacy of its use.

Security and privacy risks: Unauthorized use of sensitive data for training or operating a model AI can expose an enterprise to security and privacy risks.

Bias and inaccuracy: Bias and inaccuracy in training data can be amplified with adoption of the model, leading to discriminatory, legally risky or unsafe outcomes. Some companies, including IBM and Amazon, have developed tools to detect bias in AI.

The capacity to change minds: Recent research showed that AI-powered “smart replies” can influence recipients of such replies to feel the sender is “warmer and more cooperative.” According to a 2021 study, such smart replies can influence people to be quite positive. The capacity for AI to influence negative thinking is also a possibility, one that at the moment requires more research.