This article will discuss the use of AI (artificial intelligence) for commercial activities, such as marketing, advertising, sales, etc. Is the use of AI for these purposes ethical or not? What impact does it have on society and the environment? How to regulate and monitor AI so that it does not abuse its power?
What is AI?
AI is a technology capable of performing tasks that usually require human abilities, such as thinking, learning, communicating and making decisions. AI can help humans in various fields, such as education, health, agriculture, entertainment, and others. However, AI can also be used for commercial activities aimed at gaining as much profit as possible.
One example of using AI for commercial activities is marketing. With AI, companies can collect and analyze massive customer data, so they can know customer preferences, behavior and needs more accurately. In this way, companies can offer products or services that suit customer desires, as well as increase customer loyalty and satisfaction.
However, using AI for marketing also has a negative side. One of them is a privacy issue. With AI, companies can access customers’ personal data without their knowledge or consent. This data can be used to influence or manipulate customers into purchasing certain products or services. Apart from that, this data can also be misused by irresponsible parties for criminal purposes, such as identity theft, fraud, or even terrorism.
Use of AI for Commercial Activities According to Scientists or Experts
According to several scientists or experts, the use of AI for commercial activities must be carried out by paying attention to ethical principles that are in accordance with human and cultural values. For example, the UGM Faculty of Philosophy and UNESCO have prepared ethical guidelines for the use of AI in Indonesia which refer to the values of Pancasila as the state’s foundation and philosophical basis. These guidelines aim to ensure that the development and use of AI in Indonesia is carried out in a fair, equitable, transparent, accountable manner and respects human rights.
Roland Vogl, a law professor at Stanford University and founder of CodeX – The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, said that AI or robotcop must be designed with high human ethics. He gave the example that AI used for law enforcement must be able to distinguish between guilty and innocent people, and respect privacy and civil liberties.
However, there are also scientists or experts who worry that the use of AI for commercial activities could be exploited for evil purposes, and could even threaten jobs. For example, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, said that AI could be used to spread false information, influence elections, and undermine democracy. He suggested that there should be regulations that strictly regulate the use of AI.
Additionally, Kai-Fu Lee, an AI expert and founder of Sinovation Ventures, said that AI could replace 40 percent of human jobs in the next 15 years. He suggested that humans focus on jobs that require creativity, empathy and socialization.
Things to note
The use of AI for commercial activities can also raise other ethical issues, such as injustice, discrimination, or exploitation. For example, AI can be used to price products or services based on customer data, such as location, age, gender, income, or even race. This can result in different customers getting different prices for the same product or service. Apart from that, AI can also be used to replace human workers in some jobs, such as cashiers, waiters or drivers. This can reduce employment and income for humans.
Therefore, the use of AI for commercial activities must be properly regulated and supervised so as not to violate human rights and obligations. Some things to pay attention to are:
Transparency
Companies must explain to customers the use of AI in their commercial activities, including its objectives, processes and impacts. Companies must also give customers the choice to consent or reject AI’s use of their personal data.
Accountability
Companies must be responsible for all actions and results generated by AI in their commercial activities. Companies must ensure that AI does not violate applicable laws, ethics or social norms. Companies must also be prepared to face any risks or consequences that may arise from the use of AI.
Diversity
Companies must ensure that AI is not discriminatory or unfair towards certain groups in society. Companies must include various parties involved in the AI development and testing process, such as experts, regulators, consumers, workers, or civil society.
Continuity
Companies must ensure that the use of AI does not harm the environment or threaten the well-being of future generations. Companies must use resources efficiently and responsibly in carrying out their commercial activities with AI.
Benefits and Negative Impacts of Using AI for Commercial Activities
Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology capable of performing tasks that normally require human capabilities, such as speech recognition, decision making, and language translation. AI has many benefits and negative impacts for commercial activities, depending on how the technology is used and regulated.
Some of the benefits of AI for commercial activities are:
Increase efficiency and productivity.
AI can help automate repetitive business processes, helping save time and operational costs. AI can also improve the quality of products and services by reducing human error and increasing accuracy.
Improve customer experience.
AI can help provide more personalized and responsive services to customers, such as product recommendations, chatbots and virtual assistants. AI can also help analyze customer data to increase customer loyalty and retention.
Increasing innovation and competitiveness.
AI can help create new, smarter and more advanced products and services, which can give companies a competitive advantage. AI can also help discover new business opportunities by identifying trends, patterns and market demand.
Some of the negative impacts of AI for commercial activities are:
Raises ethical and legal issues.
AI can raise ethical and legal issues related to privacy, security, responsibility, and transparency. For example, who is responsible if AI makes a mistake or causes harm? How to protect customer data from misuse or theft? How to ensure that AI is not discriminatory or biased?
Causing social and economic impacts.
AI can have social and economic impacts related to employment, education, health and well-being. For example, how to address the impact of AI job replacement? How can workers improve their skills and education to adapt to AI? How can we ensure that AI does not widen social or economic inequality?
Poses technical and operational risks.
AI can pose technical and operational risks related to performance, reliability, security, and interoperability. For example, how to resolve performance issues or AI failures? How to protect AI systems from cyberattacks or manipulation? How to ensure that an AI system can interact well with other systems?
Therefore, the use of AI for commercial activities requires a balance between the benefits and negative impacts it causes. There needs to be collaboration between governments, companies, academics and society to develop, implement and monitor AI in a responsible, ethical, fair and sustainable way.
The use of AI for commercial activities is an unavoidable phenomenon in this digital era. However, the use of AI must be done wisely and responsibly, so as not to cause negative impacts on humans and the environment. The use of AI must be based on ethical values, such as honesty, fairness, humanity and care.
