Like it or not, the AI revolution is here to stay—the AI genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no way back. The widespread application of AI, particularly generative AI, is rapidly becoming integral to numerous sectors, and content marketing is no exception. It comes as no surprise that 63% of marketing leaders are planning to invest in this technology in the upcoming 24 months. A recent survey conducted by Gartner has revealed some intriguing statistics in this regard: 

• A whopping 76% of marketers reveal their content marketing teams are already harnessing the power of generative AI.
• All the respondents agreed that generative AI will become a staple in the tech stacks of marketing teams within the next six years.

Meanwhile, it’s crucial to consider the current buzz around AI from the viewpoint of CIOs and security managers. As Gartner’s survey of 249 senior enterprise risk executives shows, 66% of these professionals regard the widespread availability of generative AI as one of the rapidly emerging risks their organizations closely monitor. Additionally, 34% of organizations are already using or are in the process of implementing AI application security. It’s also worth noting that 43% of software engineering leaders mention the “lack of corporate governance policies” as one of the biggest hurdles in adopting generative AI.

So, you might be wondering how different organizations are addressing these security concerns. How can your company harness AI to its maximum potential while ensuring content security? And how can you guarantee that your systems are prepared for enterprise governance and security? 

We’ve put together six valuable tips covering both business and technical aspects of implementing AI. These tips will guide you on how to achieve maximum value and ensure robust content security within your organization:

Tip #1: Set clear goals for implementing Al and double down on them.

Start with WHY

A number of companies are enthusiastically adopting AI, but often without having well-defined objectives for its implementation. In our conversations with clients, we’ve identified the most frequently mentioned reasons for introducing AI:

• More content
• Better performance
• Faster time to market
• Lower marketing costs

At Kontent.ai, we’ve developed a robust strategy centered on our customers and identified three types of ROI (return on investment) that can be achieved through AI implementation:

• Procedural returns – AI saves resources and reduces the time needed to develop content, mitigating delays.​
• Experiential returns – AI simplifies content optimization by enabling the cost-effective development of content variations and customizations.​
• Financial returns – AI lowers expenses associated with improving the quality of both new and existing content.​

AI plays a crucial role in achieving all of these returns. You’ll want to focus on one of them and double down on it; give it your all. If you do so, the other gains will naturally follow. Trying to do everything at once might not bring immediate results. Rather, selecting one of the returns and pouring your energy into it could set you up for wider success in the future.

Tip #2: Look out for tools that create added value.

Once you’ve clearly defined your goals, you can start thinking about the tools you’ll use. With so many options out there, take a moment to find the perfect fit. Remember, two tools might seem to do the same job, but the outcomes they deliver will most likely be different. Let’s take a look at some examples of various tools designed to improve your content’s performance:

Each of the tools works in its unique way. Some can improve your text on the fly, and some allow you to select a sample item, learn from it, and then apply that knowledge to a new item. All of the tools from our example are solving the same use case in different ways, and some of these ways might be just what your organization needs.

When choosing the right AI tool, make sure to consider the tool’s features—does the vendor provide some added value or extra features that others don’t? Most of the functionalities we can see now on the market will eventually become standard. Every editor will offer options to summarize, simplify, or improve your content. So, take a moment to ponder the extra value you’ll get from the tool. What are you trying to achieve, what challenges do you face on a daily basis, and how can the tool help you overcome them? By answering these questions, you can make sure you’re making the right decision.

Tip #3: Winners will use AI to understand their customers better, but they must be able to constantly adapt. 

Besides picking the right tools for your company, it’s also essential to understand that nowadays, people expect to find the content they’re searching for right away. Thanks to AI, the concept of ”the right content delivered at the right time to the right person” is no longer a marketer’s dream. It’s a must. AI empowers everyone to accomplish this, but the methods to achieve it can vary. And the ones who leverage AI to do that are bound to succeed.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the big question: How can Al help deliver the right content to the right person at the right time? 

• Increased customer insights – Al enables businesses to harness and analyze vast amounts of customer data, creating detailed segments and understanding the individual preferences of customers much faster and better. 
• Smart content recommendations – Al ensures users receive content that resonates with them, boosting engagement and driving desired actions.
• Real-time personalization & adaptability – Al empowers organizations to provide content in real-time and adapt based on the user’s current context and behavior.

There’s no doubt the game is changing much faster than ever before. Everyone is ready to embrace AI, but only those who use it smartly will emerge as winners in the long run. It’s not just about adopting innovation; it’s about using it with foresight that truly sets you apart in this rapidly changing field.

Tip #4: Make your content data a priority.​

Winning is all about looking ahead. Many organizations focus on the initial steps of the content lifecycle, such as design and creation, but AI can do much more—and it indeed is going to do a lot more in the near future. The key to success? Making sure that you’re closing the loop in your content lifecycle.

It’s time to start paying attention to how well your content is doing. You need to know if all the hard work you’re putting into content creation is worthwhile. Are the capabilities you’re leveraging to boost your content production paying off? Are you producing more content that is performing better, or do you need to optimize it? These are the questions you need to be asking.

AI holds a lot of promise in this field for the coming future. There will be tools providing recommendations and insights that might not be obvious at first glance. Don’t focus only on the creation part of the content lifecycle, but also consider how you can measure and optimize it.

Takeaway #5: Safeguard your brand reputation.

Let’s say you’ve achieved all the mentioned takeaways so far. Even then, remember there is a fine line between improving and destroying brand reputation with AI. Building a solid brand reputation takes years, but only a few seconds to ruin it. It could be just one wrong result generated by AI or one inappropriate comment on a sensitive topic, and your brand will be damaged or even ruined immediately. But don’t fret—if you manage to get everything right, the chances are you will see an increase in customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Here are some valuable insights we’ve gathered from our customers who are utilizing our native AI capabilities:

Adopting Al technologies transparently

Trust and credibility are established when companies adopt Al technologies transparently and openly. Don’t hesitate to talk about your approach and show where and how you leverage AI. People will appreciate your transparency about whether they are consuming content from a human or from AI. Both strategies are valid. 

Respecting privacy in Al: Your data, your trust

Respecting privacy never goes out of fashion. There’s a delicate balance between offering the right content at the right moment and coming off as intrusive or misusing personal information, so be careful not to cross that line.

Accountability for Al outcomes

Brand trust and credibility are earned when organizations take responsibility for the outcomes of their Al systems. Leading companies take responsibility for the outcomes of their AI models and AI systems. If you happen to have content produced by AI that is not on brand or is simply wrong, ultimately, it doesn’t matter if it was produced by AI. It’s your content and your company, so you need to take ownership and be responsible for that.

Takeaway #6: Don’t underestimate your due diligence.​

You’ve likely heard stories of large companies ruining their brand image through the incorrect use of AI. Sometimes, it takes a single employee who doesn’t follow your internal policies and selects a random AI tool, sharing your sensitive data with it. To prevent this, you need to do your due diligence right.

Check out these four tips on how you can separate the hype from reality:

The foundations are set right

When a company complies with various industry standards and regulations, such as SOC2 reports, ISO 27001,  GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, GLBA, and security and privacy-specific documentation, you can feel confident that their AI functionality is on point. The certifications provide insights into the vendors the company is working with to develop their functionalities.

A roadmap towards Al compliance exists 

Look for companies that have a clear roadmap towards compliance with capAl, NIST AI RMF, EU Al Act, and others. A company should be open to sharing its plans and telling you how it prepares for upcoming regulations. For instance, the EU AI Act, which will be the first complete AI law in the world, is expected to come into effect in 2024, and businesses need to be ready for it.

Responsible Al principles are followed

The ideal company will follow responsible and trusted Al principles formulated and enforced in operation. The vendor should provide an option to exclude customer data from further Al processing. Solid companies will also follow responsible and trusted Al principles. You need to make sure that the AI you’re choosing is used safely and ethically—this way, you can rest assured that your data stays within the system. 

Policies for 3rd party management exist

Al sub-suppliers are managed with the same standards as the suppliers, with full transparency about their choice. In the world of microservices, it’s pretty common for each vendor to use a variety of services. Vendors who have clearly defined policies (especially when they have a dedicated security team that will walk you through the policies) are serious players and reliable providers from whom you can confidently choose a solution for your organization.

Bonus tip: Think about tools that bring it all together and help you maximize the value and security at the same time.

At Kontent.ai, we’re dedicated to building and designing our product with customers in mind, making sure that content professionals can enjoy tailored experience that helps them maximize the value of their content operations. But we don’t stop there—we develop our product with enterprise governance in mind. We ensure everything is as safe as possible to enable content professionals to focus on creating great content while keeping it secure.

Want to learn more about native AI capabilities in Kontent.ai? Visit this page to explore how easy it is to create and enhance your content in seconds, using productivity-boosting AI skills right in the content management system.