Businesses 'take bullets' for abusing AI

Duolingo receives negative feedback for its new AI-first model. Photo: Unsplash .

Since its launch nearly 3 years ago, ChatGPT has created an AI fever and encouraged businesses to integrate this technology into their products and services. Many companies believe that AI has helped them optimize costs, increase efficiency, and even completely change their workflow.

However, the use of artificial intelligence is quite sensitive, if not done properly, it can cause great damage to reputation. Many influential businesses have received criticism from the public for abusing AI without control. This shows that users' views on ethics are increasingly harsh.

When AI Integration Backfires

More than a week ago, the popular language learning app Duolingo wiped all of its social media content, replacing its regular characters with a rebellious, hoodie-wearing, three-eyed owl. By May 26, the brand had restored the original posts.

The move comes after the company announced it would be shifting to an “AI-first” model in a LinkedIn post in April. The post included a screenshot of a company-wide email from CEO Luis von Ahn, comparing the move to the shift from desktop to mobile in 2012.

Not everyone is thrilled, however. Some users have criticized the company for going for quantity over quality. Globally, discussions around the issue have a sentiment ratio of 24.5% positive to 41.1% negative, according to media analytics firm CARMA.

Opinions are also divided in the gaming industry, where AI integration is almost normalized. In a recent update to Fortnite, Epic Games, the company that owns the game, tested a fully AI-controlled Darth Vader character who interacted with other players in a conversation.

Darth Vader uses offensive language against other players in Fortnite. Photo: More SypherPK/YouTube.

The goal was to make the game’s characters more intelligent and realistic. However, Darth Vader, inspired by the Star Wars character, started saying strange things or swearing, even insulting other players. This showed that the AI character was out of Epic’s control, and the company had to immediately patch the bug.

Another example is Toei Animation, the famous animation studio behind One Piece, planning to integrate AI into production. A report by Screenrant suggests that artificial intelligence will be involved in the initial sketching, coloring, background creation, and character animation stages.

This intention was immediately opposed by the fan community, who said that it would affect the quality and originality of Toei. The studio had to review the report and clarify that they still intended to do so, but that all of the above steps were currently done by humans.

What to do if you still want to use AI?

“Transparency and customer-centricity are the foundations for an effective AI strategy,” said Anjul Bhambhri, senior vice president of Adobe Experience Cloud. If you are using AI in your operations, be open about it with your partners.

Users will focus more on value, the results, not the process. Instead of emphasizing the use of AI, talk about specific benefits such as saving time, improving service quality, or more reasonable prices.

The development team behind the popular game Candy Crush Saga said it has applied AI as a "logistics technician". Todd Green, the brand's General Manager, said that without the help of AI, they would not be able to ensure a good experience for players of more than 18,000 levels, and at the same time create new levels.

AI was needed to ensure quality for more than 18,000 levels. Photo: Candy Crush/Youtube.

Furthermore, AI should complement, not replace, humans, especially in areas that require empathy or creativity. People don’t hate AI, they don’t like feeling replaced or cheated.

For the cultural sector, the application of AI needs to be implemented slowly and listen to feedback. Darth Vader, or One Piece, are part of many people's childhood memories. When AI destroys that image, the public will feel offended. The opposition to Toei Animation using AI comes from the fear that anime art will be degraded and lose its inherent essence, the Indiatimes analyzed.

When applying this technology to activities such as customer care, content creation, and personalization of experiences, it is important to prioritize ethics and safety. Businesses also need clear policies on data privacy, avoiding bias, and ensuring fair operations.

Customers understand the fact that AI is becoming increasingly important to their competition. However, instead of avoiding it, companies should learn to use artificial intelligence wisely, as a natural part of improving their services, not as a controversial marketing strategy.

Source: https://znews.vn/doanh-nghiep-linh-dan-vi-lam-dung-ai-post1556463.html