Let me start by confirming that this blog was actually written by me. Not ChatGPT. But I won’t pretend I haven’t toyed with that idea.
ChatGPT has been making headlines for weeks, and from personal experience, it has made its way to dinner tables as people experience first-hand what AI can do. It’s early days, and while most people are viewing the outputs of questions asked through the chatbot more as parlor tricks than actionable right now, I’ve already been seeing news and conversations building toward its far-reaching impact—from creating greater business efficiency to offloading mundane tasks, and streamlining processes.
But none of this is new. For those of us who have worked within the AI industry for years, the discussion around the positive impact of AI has not changed. Before ChatGPT, AI had been held back by an intrinsic fear that if we open that door, the robots will start to replace humans. And eventually, Terminators will be walking the streets blowing up the world.
The difference this time around is that ChatGPT’s simplicity, and fun, in the hands of everyone is removing that fear. I watched a national news interview with one of the senior leaders at OpenAI, which built ChatGPT, and even she stuck purely to how it can make workers’ lives better and was not about replacing people with AI.
ChatGPT has essentially created a masterclass in building brands in emerging, less-understood, misunderstood or brand new industries. What OpenAI did with this launch was to first completely obliterate fear of AI by making it personal. The company gave people a fun, easy, and simple way to use AI first hand. It’s not intimidating. It’s not scary. It doesn’t respond like a robot.
This step brilliantly fast-tracked the willingness of everyday people to embrace AI in their homes in order to open the door to embracing it at work. It’s B2C2B! Pure genius.
Emerging technology companies and category creators should use this approach as a guide to communicating and building trust in the market for products and services that could be fearful or misunderstood. Education is key and always will be, but the uphill battle is slightly less steep if you can personalize the experience for audiences and simplify it in a way that shows how it can improve their lives.
ChatGPT is still relatively new, and like anything, sentiment can change with one bad experience or viral post. But for now, I think there is much to be gained in watching how this industry evolves, and more importantly, whether ChatGPT’s brand can single-handedly reshape how people think about AI.
***
For more information about our work in sustainable and responsible technology, learn about our Social and Environmental Impact practice.
RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based PR agency with a nationwide presence and additional global reach via membership in the Worldcom Public Relations Group. We provide strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, government and healthcare markets.
