AdExchanger Podcast Summary: "AI Isn’t Something To Fear – Or Rush Into"
Podcast Information:
- Title: AdExchanger
- Host/Author: AdExchanger Talks
- Episode: AI Isn’t Something To Fear – Or Rush Into
- Release Date: April 8, 2025
- Host: Alison Schiff
- Guest: Cecilia Doness, Founder and Chief Data Officer of Three Standard Deviations
1. Introduction and Guest Background
The episode begins with Alison Schiff introducing the podcast, highlighting its focus on advertising and marketing technology trends. She warmly welcomes Cecilia Doness, the Founder and Chief Data Officer of Three Standard Deviations, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations maximize their data's value while considering the human impact.
Notable Quote:
"Ethical principles should be foundational for any marketer, brand, buyer, publisher, ad tech vendor, really, anybody that wants to use AI to create solutions and drive business outcomes."
— Cecilia Doness [06:09]
Cecilia shares her diverse background, encompassing roles in advanced analytics at L'Oréal and Moët Hennessy, and her experience teaching at NYU and Columbia. She emphasizes the importance of integrating ethical considerations into AI and data strategies.
2. Navigating AI and Technology in Marketing
Alison inquires about the motto on Cecilia's firm website: "I help people and organizations navigate the discomfort of ambiguity and uncertainty with AI and technology." Cecilia elaborates on the prevalent hype surrounding AI and stresses the importance of focusing on fundamental marketing principles before layering AI technologies.
Notable Quote:
"AI is a verb. And I think the challenge there is we start inflating our expectations about what the technology and the machines can do."
— Cecilia Doness [06:44]
She argues that while AI can amplify marketing efforts, it should not distract from core activities like brand management and delivering consistent products.
3. Understanding and Managing Ethical Implications
The discussion shifts to AI and data ethics. Cecilia differentiates between ethics (compliance with regulations) and morals (individual choices), advocating for proactive management of ethical risks. She highlights the complexity of applying universal ethical standards globally due to varying regional values and regulations.
Notable Quote:
"We do not have a universal. This is the one rule that means everything is equitable, everything is fair. We don't have that jointly globally at all."
— Cecilia Doness [19:34]
Cecilia emphasizes the need for organizations to adopt ethical frameworks that align with both global and local contexts, ensuring responsible AI deployment.
4. Incentives and Inefficiencies in Ad Tech
Alison raises concerns about the lack of incentives in the online advertising industry to promote efficiency, arguing that ad tech often thrives on maintaining fragmented data and inefficient practices to sustain revenue streams.
Notable Quote:
"There is no incentive in this industry to be efficient... as long as everyone gets their cut and doesn't get too greedy, then the status quo can just chug along."
— Cecilia Doness [37:00]
Cecilia concurs, noting that excessive capital inflows into digital advertising without corresponding increases in value can lead to exploitative practices. She advocates for shifting the focus from mere efficiency to fostering innovation, which can create meaningful consumer connections.
5. Leadership and Changing Incentive Structures
The conversation delves into how leadership can influence ethical behavior and efficiency in the ad tech ecosystem. Cecilia highlights the role of courageous leadership in redefining incentives to promote pro-social behaviors and reduce harmful practices.
Notable Quote:
"We have to be a bit more courageous. ... having courageous leaders willing to take a stand."
— Cecilia Doness [32:24]
She suggests that coordinated efforts across the ecosystem, including transparent reporting and holding brands accountable, are essential for driving systemic change.
6. AI's Impact on Human Behavior and Technology Use
Alison discusses the unintended consequences of technology on human behavior, such as the compulsion to respond to messages at all hours due to machine-driven communication systems. Cecilia advocates for maintaining a "human in the loop" approach to ensure that technology serves human needs rather than dictating behavior.
Notable Quote:
"If machines are changing the way we behave as opposed to adapting to us, then we need to put our humble hat on and say, okay, the machine is a tool in my repertoire."
— Cecilia Doness [43:04]
She emphasizes setting personal boundaries with technology to preserve human well-being and agency.
7. AI Tools and Personal Usage
Alison inquires about the AI tools Cecilia utilizes in her daily life and work. Cecilia mentions using Canva for graphic design and Perplexity for its explainable AI capabilities, which align with her focus on understandable and transparent AI systems.
Notable Quote:
"I am about explainable AI, understandable AI. So having AI tools that can help you understand, oh, what was the logic of their process, that is so helpful."
— Cecilia Doness [46:15]
She also humorously notes her reliance on machine learning for filtering spam emails, highlighting everyday applications of AI.
8. Coolest and Ridiculous AI Uses in Marketing
In the final segment, Alison asks Cecilia to share examples of impressive and absurd AI applications in marketing. Cecilia discusses:
-
Coolest Application: Utilizing AI to mimic specific creative styles at scale, such as imitating Studio Ghibli’s artistic approach. This capability could allow brands to creatively engage with consumers while navigating ethical and intellectual property considerations.
Notable Quote:
"If a brand was able to take their core corpus of brand assets and share it in such a way that allowed people to be creative with it... that would be quite exciting."
— Cecilia Doness [48:37] -
Ridiculous Application: A firm using AI to generate SEO copy purely for algorithmic optimization, effectively enabling machines to advertise to machines without human oversight. Cecilia criticizes this approach for removing the human element from marketing strategies.
Notable Quote:
"This is a machine advertising to a machine and we've completely removed people from the process. That was a very odd moment."
— Cecilia Doness [50:59]
Cecilia emphasizes the importance of maintaining human oversight and creativity in AI-driven marketing endeavors.
Conclusion
Alison wraps up the episode by thanking Cecilia for her insightful contributions. She reiterates the importance of ethical AI development and innovative marketing strategies that prioritize human connections over mere technological advancements.
Closing Note:
"Thanks for listening. And a special thanks to our sponsor, Data Axle."
— Alison Schiff [51:12]
This episode of AdExchanger Talks provides a comprehensive exploration of the nuanced relationship between AI, ethics, and marketing. Cecilia Doness offers valuable perspectives on implementing AI strategically, fostering ethical practices, and prioritizing human-centric approaches in the evolving ad tech landscape.