The ethical trouble with AI and psychographics

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With the advancement of technology, advertisers have found new and innovative ways to advertise online. These online advertisements, like banner ads and pop-ups, are relatively harmless. They serve to attract the viewer's eye and prompt them to interact. However, online ads aren't the most effective form of advertising to come out of technological innovation.

AI presents an opportunity to better target an audience in advertising. Using stored information about your location, interests, lifestyle, and relationships, AI can show you ads that will be specific to your life. However, AI is entirely unregulated, meaning audiences are being targeted extremely.

"Most would agree it's acceptable to leverage AI to target a consumer who shows interest in sports cars. But what if you also knew that the consumer was deep in debt and lacked impulse control, had multiple moving violations, and had a history of drug and alcohol abuse? Is it still okay to market a fast car to this person in a way that would make it nearly irresistible?" Said Jason Jercinovic, global brand director at Havas.

Without regulation, AI runs the risk of preying on vulnerable individuals. According to an article by Emily Bell, mood-based marketing has become more frequent amongst less ethical companies, adding a layer of threat to AI advertising. If an AI can track your moods through your online presence, it can target you in your most vulnerable moments.

Using a consumer's mood against them to persuade them to spend money is harmful and irresponsible data usage. It targets explicitly mentally ill individuals who may have lower impulse control or could be more easily manipulated. For example, targeting someone's fears and anxieties to get them to buy a home security system isn't a new concept. However, knowing when someone has a mental disorder makes them paranoid and showing them a home security ad that tells them "if you don't buy this, someone will break into your house" is a gross misuse of power. It goes against ethical codes about treating vulnerable individuals fairly.

Of course, the point of advertising is to persuade someone to buy an experience or item. However, the lack of an ethical code for AI is incredibly troubling. The advertising code of ethics states that the consumers' privacy must never be compromised for advertising, something AI has already done many times. That being said, AI is not necessarily "evil." With proper regulation and when put in ethical hands, AI can be a great tool to reach target audiences in advertising.