You can’t scroll far without hearing about "generative AI" and its potential impact on the world. But should us marketeers be quaking in our boots, or jumping for joy?
With promises of revolutionising processes and sparking efficiency, it's hard not to get carried away with the hype. For marketing professionals, especially those of us navigating the often rational, serious realm of b2b communications, the buzz can quickly turn into a haze of questions and concerns.
At The Scott Partnership Group, we're keenly aware of this conundrum. As a b2b communications firm specialising in scientific and technical markets, we’re excited about the transformative potential of generative AI, but we also value human insight and expertise.
Enhancing, not replacing: Let’s be clear – generative AI isn't about to replace skilled b2b copywriters. Instead, it's a new partner, or co-pilot, that, when used well, can make their work better. In the rewarding process of communicating the complexities of life science or technical innovations, human intuition and insight – often gained over decades – remain paramount.
So, when we’re generating content outlines and ideas, based on scientific technologies or research areas, using AI to capture the essential data and context can be a helpful starting point. As we writers often say, starting is often the hardest part! This allows our skilled copywriters to dive into the nuances, unearth the relevance and craft a narrative that resonates with scientists, while bringing their unique knowledge of our client and their service or technology. For us, it's about using AI to make the creative process smoother, not automated.
Not only will AI significantly enhance the content generation process, it will also help us to better streamline other business processes, so that we can focus more and more of our time and unique human energy on solving our clients’ complex challenges. That’s what we call a win : win.
The agency of the future: Tomorrow's communications specialists will be well-versed in the art of generative AI. It's not just enough to blindly embrace it though; it's about harnessing it, smartly. In scientific and technical markets, where accuracy and precision are paramount, AI can streamline the immense task of data analysis, leaving more room for strategic thinking and developing compelling narratives.
Generative AI can analyse patterns in research data, and distil complex theories or methods, presenting insights that help us to communicate clearly and impactfully.
Any comms professional should be ready to develop new, desirable skills such as ‘prompt craft’, and hone critical existing ones, such as copy editing, fact checking and referencing. We will also treasure our ability to create ‘human’ content based on interviews with real people. This will stand out even more in the content flood to come. These are some of the skills that will set us apart now that automating content generation is a real option for some businesses.
Risks vs. rewards: No technological innovation is without risks, and generative AI is no exception. Bias, misinformation, confidentiality and loss of the personal touch are concerns that deserve attention. But they should not overshadow the potential rewards - increased efficiency, deeper insights, and the ability to communicate better.
In our world, ignoring generative AI isn't an option. We must adapt, cautiously, keeping our clients' unique needs, challenges and goals at the forefront of everything we do, no matter how we do it.
In conclusion: So, what's our take on generative AI? If you’re still in doubt, we think it's a big deal, but we’re not overwhelmed by it. We have already shown that it can be a collaborator, enhancing our abilities, expanding our insights, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in b2b communications, especially in technical and scientific markets.
We won’t have to choose between AI and human expertise. Those who succeed will be challenging themselves daily to better understand and experience how the two can work together, to better serve their goals.
To note: we do not use generative AI to create final copy, and nor should anyone, for now, at least!
Stay tuned for more insights as we navigate this exciting journey into the future of b2b communications.