“Right now, generative AI is a tool like any other. Designers can add to their skill set by using this tool effectively. However, there will always be some who believe that the tool can do the job by itself. This is not only a disservice to designers, but a big misstep for organizations looking to implement AI Solutions with little human oversight.’
~ Lindsay Derby, Senior Product Designer, HubSpot Enablement Team
If you listen to all the internet hype, it would be easy to believe that artificial intelligence can do anything. In fact, some would have you believe that human creators have been made redundant by the advances in AI.
After all, says the new propaganda, who needs human website designers and content creators when you can have AI doing the same job?
But there are a few flaws with that logic, and while we here at ClikIT are always ready to embrace new technologies, we are also duty-bound as professionals to talk about the limitations of any new digital tool.
The Death of Creativity?
“…websites may start to all look the same as they will follow similar automated patterns.” s.”
~ L. Davenport
Designs and content created by artificial intelligence noticeably lack the creativity and flair that you get from a human web developer or writer. This is already public knowledge.
Despite the initial buzz about how much AI was going to revolutionize the Internet, you can already see that some of the excitement was very premature. According to the harshest critics of all – paying customers – it’s easier than we thought it would be to tell the difference between something that has been spit out by an algorithm and something that has been created by a human.
This is extremely important, because 74% of consumers are unhappy when their website content is not personalized.
Human creators bring more than just knowledge and skill to the web design table – they also bring experiences, both professional and personal. It is that unreplicable combination that sparks the creativity that translates into web designs and content and intuitive user-friendly features that are noticed by visitors.
AI, on the other hand, relies on algorithms. This means that over time, everything will start to look and feel the same.
There Are No Industry Standards Governing Ethical AI Use
Without any official or enforceable guidelines in place, it is up to organizations and individuals to figure out how to use AI ethically. For some, that may be a tall order, unfortunately.
First off, not everyone will actually take the time to fully investigate what ethical AI use involves.
Next, there will be some who succumb to the pressure of putting results before ethics. When faced with real-world pressure to deliver, they may not always choose the ethical path.
Finally, there will be some – too many in our estimation – for whom the ethics of the matter do not even figure into the equation.
What does unethical AI look like?
- Stolen designs
- Plagiarized content
- Deceptive imagery
- Unfounded claims
- Lack of citations
In the short term, these bad actors will more than likely get away with it… for a while, until ethical standards and enforcement catch up. And that’s when companies associated with unethical practices will pay the price, in the form of public backlash, a loss of consumer trust, decreased sales, and perhaps even civil and criminal penalties.
If you cannot trust that your web developers and content creators are using AI ethically and responsibly, then you simply cannot afford to entrust your company website to them.
Replacing Human Developers and Creators with AI is a Bad Idea in Action
Replacing a human creative team with AI is never going to be as easy or productive as some claim.
Even if we lay ethics and creativity concerns aside for a moment, there’s still the fact that you will always need human oversight, input, and interpretation.
For example, no matter how advanced the AI tool, you will still need humans to input the correct information. You will still need humans with enough experience, expertise, and insight to know how to give context to and best apply the data at your disposal.
The Bottom Line About AI, Web Design, and Content Creation
AI is never going to be more than a tool – a useful tool that can take care of tedious or repetitive tasks, but a tool nonetheless. If you try to cut corners and depend on it to handle all of your creative and design needs, you could lose the human touch that all businesses need to connect with customers.
The ClikIT Difference
When you need the best in web design and creative content creation, trust your business to a professional IT management team that takes the most cutting-edge tools and uses them with skill, expertise, experience, and insight.
At ClikIT, we are your #1 resource for all of your website needs, from design and redesign to content creation and blogs, to security, to SEO and social media, and much much more.
Our motto is, “We Can Do IT!”…because we CAN help you maximize your online presence and results. We do what we are best at so you can do what you are best at.
Let us take a look at your website so we can tell you what we can do for you
For immediate help and long-term results, Contact the professionals at ClikIT TODAY.
