Is AI Marketing a 'Deal with the Devil'?

Modern marketing is at a digital crossroads. Have marketers "sold their soul" to the AI overlord?

Under a moonless night, in the smoky haze of the Mississippi Delta, bluesman Robert Johnson stood at a fabled crossroads. Legend has it that he struck a deal with the devil, trading his soul for unparalleled talent on the guitar.

This tale of ambition and sacrifice echoes through the ages, resonating in unexpected places. Today, in the bustling world of digital marketing, a new crossroads has emerged — one where marketers face their own Faustian bargain with artificial intelligence.

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Apologies for taking literary license in the opening paragraphs, but the “Crossroads” is a fictional legend about blues musician Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil at a highway crossroads in exchange for musical ability. The legend is symbolized by a sign at the intersection of US 49 and US 61 (the “Blues Highway”) just outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi, known as the birthplace of the blues.

“The Crossroads” - the intersection of US 49 and US 61, Clarksdale, Mississippi

According to the legend, Johnson sold his soul to the devil in the 1930s and became a skilled blues musician.

As marketers, we stand at our own crossroads — a digital intersection where we can continue to traverse our current path or embrace the potential of AI. The allure is undeniable: AI contains endless possibilities — campaigns that can reach the right audience at the right time with the perfect message.

Marketers stand at our own crossroads — a digital intersection where we can continue to traverse our current path or embrace the potential of AI.

But, as with Johnson's legendary deal, there is a price. Harnessing AI's power requires us to surrender part of our marketing soul. We face relinquishing control over creativity and intuition, trusting algorithms and data-driven decisions instead of our instincts. We risk marketing's artistry being overshadowed by cold, calculated machine learning precision.

The question lingers: Is embracing AI marketing equivalent to making a deal with the devil (i.e., allowing AI oligarchs to be overlords in guiding our use) in exchange for becoming what philosopher Nick Bostrom called “posthuman” marketers?