AI can never match human ingenuity in advertisement: MIB Jt Secy Vikram Sahay

The 19th edition of the Marketing Conclave (MarCon) organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) took place on November 22, 2023, in Mumbai. This year, MarCon’s focus was understanding the evolving role of technology in marketing. There were several intriguing panel discussions, fireside chats and keynote sessions that delved into a variety of topics, while encapsulating this year’s theme.

One such keynote session that spoke about regulatory insights and industry collaboration for sustainable growth in digital advertising and marketing was delivered by Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

“AI can never match human ingenuity in advertisement. Remember that advertisement is all about making a product or a service unique. Even the best of the software like ChatGPT will never offer that uniqueness. So, do not feel discouraged by them as they often compromise the quality of the advertisements,” said Sahay.

Addressing the conference’s theme topic, Sahay delved into the dynamic intersection of technology and marketing, shedding light on innovative strategies to navigate the evolving landscape of digital advertising.

Sahay also dwelt on advertising regulatory practices and underlined the importance of ethical marketing. “Today, we have certain regulatory practices and guidelines that protect us from misleading ads, especially in education and healthcare. We must stay away from such unethical practices,” he said.

Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of social responsibility. In the advertising and marketing industry, the content creators have their own set of rules, regulations and priorities when it comes to quality, quantity, targets. And it is absolutely viable and necessary for them to achieve these targets. However, the makers should also be aware of what people’s sensibilities are, what their thought processes are. These need to be held in high regard in regulations and statutes. Keeping this in mind, he concluded by saying that our primary role is that of a citizen of this country. You too are the consumer of the product that you are selling. Hence, if we try to balance our roles as a global citizen and as a consumer, you will automatically start doing what is in the best interest of you and your consumers.