ChatGPT for Marketers: Limitations and Mitigations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Spring 2024
Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to revolutionise various industries, marketers have eagerly embraced AI-powered tools to enhance their strategies and reach their target audiences more effectively. This paper provides a critical examination of the limitations and failures of ChatGPT — the widely-used language model based on GPT architecture, which has gained significant attention as a potential asset for marketers in assisting marketers. Through a comprehensive analysis, the paper explores how ChatGPT falls short in understanding consumer needs and preferences, its potential to generate misleading or inaccurate information, implications for branding and communication strategies and lack of marketing expertise. Moreover, ethical concerns and risks associated with ChatGPT’s deployment in marketing are discussed, highlighting issues such as deceptive practices and data security. Case studies exemplify instances where ChatGPT has fallen short, while offering insights into successful strategies adopted by companies to address its limitations. The paper concludes with a call for responsible implementation through domain-specific fine-tuning, prompt-engineering and general human oversight and ongoing evaluation of AI technologies to enhance their utility and mitigate their failures within marketing.
Recommended Citation
Christou, D., Hatalis, K., Staton, M. G., & Frechette, M. (2024). ChatGPT for marketers: Limitations and mitigations. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 11(4), 307-323.
