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AI has emerged as a focus of discussion, and at times has been a lively debate. The underlying concerns are not unfounded. Its influence is felt in almost every field. work and lifestyle Touched the core of human existence. While this technology has driven a proliferation of innovations, optimizations, and many other beneficial applications, its widespread adoption has also opened up the potential for troubling effects.
There has been a significant increase in the mass spread of false or false information. consumer privacy, identity fraud, the rise of AI capitalism, job loss, economic inequality, the illusion of AI; unethical values such as AI systems or use for illegal purposes. The list goes on.
The impact of each of these is not overlooked by experts. They discussed such scenarios in public forums. Although efforts are being made to minimize or completely reduce eliminate risk, experts admit that they are ultimately in a guessing game. If you predict how AI will evolve, there's a good chance the actual evolution will outpace it. A public debate between two godfathers of AI. Yann LeCun and joshua bengeodoes not solve the problem and is causing further confusion and anxiety.
But the concerns that have received little attention are the areas that have been the most preoccupying for those in the innovation and marketing industries. It is about how to name and brand new products and services when developing them.
What's your name?
Technology names may seem trivial, but in today's world, especially anthropomorphic conventions Commonly used for names such as AI agents and bots.
For example, service interfaces, especially those in Western countries, are often biased towards female gender names. McKinsey's AI assistant is called Lilli. Hanson Robotics' social girlfriend robot responds to the name Sophia. Microsoft's personal assistant she is known as Cortana. And the most famous virtual assistant among them is Alexa. However, when „she“ is away, she may be connected to Siri.
This means that if an AI bot you control is given a female gender name, it can create confirmation bias and reinforce the idea that women are subordinate to men. This is not just a hint. moreover, anthropomorphic conventions Naming an AI could influence perceptions of its potential to cause harm, as it would appear that the AI has a “mind of its own.”
Furthermore, acting like a god without fully understanding the potential consequences of what you are creating completely infuriates the technology if its intelligence exceeds human intelligence. It is dangerous. This may seem trivial, but it could facilitate the fear-inducing transformative approach some technology companies are taking.
If this technology can surpass what anyone else can create, where do humans fit on the spectrum of values? makes it difficult to distinguish between the non-commercial and commercial elements that are the pillars of the relationship.
Experience: the names we give ourselves
The first wave of digital transformation taught us something important about its second-order effects. One need only look at the mass commercialization of social media and digital interfaces as an example. The loosening of social norms has led to an acceleration of anonymous aggression and even hate speech online. It is still too early to determine the long-term impact. digital anthropology It is a relatively new scientific field. However, the impact may increase over time.
It may not sound important, but the same „rules“ apply to naming AI in all of its various iterations. Technology should be seen as an enabler rather than a competition against actual individuals. Innovation and marketing teams need to help clients better navigate her AI space, and part of that effort includes the naming conventions adopted. These practices can determine the long-term success of new technologies.
As Martin Heidegger once said, „We are everywhere unfree and chained to technology, whether we enthusiastically approve of it or deny it. When we view technology as a ” This is a word that you should always keep in mind.
A rose by another name
For guidance and confirmation, you can review the naming standards used for medicines and the naming standards used for URLs.
Naming regulations are in place to ensure that no one can make assumptions about efficacy, which can have a significant impact on consumer perception and likelihood of purchase.Regarding Generic drug naming, you should use two syllables in the prefix, no specific letters, and avoid medical jargon. Names that are too fanciful will invite more scrutiny and may even result in rejection.
URLs focus on keeping content clear and concise. Another recommendation is to use lowercase letters and avoid special characters. The goal is to have a name that consists only of letters, hyphens, and numbers, and a „name“ that specifically describes the site's components. Deviating from these guidelines can cause problems.
Similarly, AI tools would benefit from similar naming conventions. This approach helps position technology correctly within the product category, at least in the eyes of consumers. After all, that's what it is. Anthropomorphic naming conventions can do the opposite, making it seem as if AI is replacing humans. Moving away from giving technology a human name also creates an opportunity to explain the purpose and function of that technology.
A name is now a brand. In fact, they were brands before branding existed. Richard Branson is proof of this. Celebrities and public figures such as Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, Marie Kondo, Rihanna, Neil Patel, and Simon Sinek have also become brands in their own right.
While people won't necessarily confuse AI with real people, using anthropomorphic naming conventions can have implications far beyond gender stereotypes. It could lead to people treating technology as human, and the lines between humans and machines starting to blur.
Katrin Zimmermann is CEO and Managing Director. TLGGan Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG) company.
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