The Darker Side of AI: Manipulation and Malicious Intent in Digital Marketing

AI is undoubtedly a transformative tool, but in the wrong hands it stands to pollute our newsfeeds and debase the work of digital marketers everywhere.  

In the last year, a shift on social has seen an increase in the number of posts that aim to deliberately mislead through the use of AI. 

The content is rooted in exploitation of insecurities, sometimes misogynistic, often judgemental, and almost always offering a solution that doesn’t truly exist. 

Brands are taking full advantage of AI capabilities for the purposes of manipulation, taking liberties with their presentation of reality, and in some cases putting what must be substantial budget behind it. High ad velocity combines with multiple social accounts to drive up visibility, the latter tactic likely employed to contravene the inevitable user reporting of scams and subsequent closing of accounts. 

Businesses are building entire suites of images and videos made solely using AI, with ‘AI actors’ selling products and concepts that are unfathomably unrealistic.  

One standout example is the use of ‘people’ (AI avatars with purposefully curated ‘perfect’ bodies) positioned as real-life ‘body transformation’ success stories, based on minimal time investment for speedy and substantial gains (as long as you buy into the brand, of course).  

How is it possible they are able to get away with this? In short, evasive and deceptive following of the rules laid out by the social channels. While there are stipulations around labelling content as AI-generated by all platforms, the sad reality is that an incredibly tokenistic effort is being made, one that is entirely inadequate and not really fit for purpose. 

These accounts are, for example, including the necessary AI label in tiny fonts, or using barely legible white text. The result is that anyone watching is captivated by the visuals, the promise of what could be, and fails to read the (very) small print that references that not only are these not real people, but that the ‘story is provided for entertainment purposes only.’ 

And therein lies their ‘compliance’ when challenged, despite the entirety of the videos centring very firmly around false facts and promises. 

As if this weren’t despicable enough, AI fakery is in some cases combined with the purposeful inclusion of toxic tropes taken straight from the damaging ‘manosphere’ playbook.  

Hit Netflix show Adolescence put this topic in the spotlight last March, and the recent release of Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere on the same platform has reignited the conversation.  

AI also plays a pivotal role in the spreading of misconceptions, especially during times as uncertain and unstable as these. Interesting to note then that X has announced a move to alert users to ‘AI content detected’ before they attempt to share posts. 

We can only hope that social channels continue to review and assess the impact of AI, but until then, to consumers of social media, I say: be vigilant, and be observant. Don’t take everything you see at face value, and if in doubt, read the fine print. 

To brand marketers, I say: question your AI strategy. If something feels off, and your gut says your creative use of AI has gone one step too far, you’re probably right.  

Authenticity is a word used by marcomms professionals the world over, but with audiences more frequently exposed to this level of mass deception, and as we navigate this new technological era, never has it been more important for you to have a genuine and credible voice. 

And as for campaign messaging, I’m sure we’ll be of one mind in that strategy built on an entirely false premise (not to mention downright unkindness) has no place in our world. We can only hope that stronger enforcement around use of AI and message credibility comes into play in the coming years. Until then, it’s our responsibility to put integrity into the heart of all we do. 

If you’d like to learn more about social media strategy, feel free to reach out to Alex Dixon, our senior social media strategy director.  

The author: Alex Dixon is a senior social media strategy director at WPR who specialises in using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X to keep clients ahead of the curve when it comes to social media marketing.