The dark side of applying Artificial Intelligence technologies in marketing - what are the challenges, obstacles and risks?

Besides various sectors and operations, numerous companies started to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) in digital marketing activities. Even though AI and machine learning implementations already play a crucial role in marketing, they also bring challenges and risks. Machine learning is one of the main tools of services of IT and Software companies and they are facing these difficulties through adopting AI and ML practices in their marketing processes as much as members of different sectors. Therefore, to develop a better understanding of what specific barriers have to be overcome and to offer detailed knowledge for managers that are intending to digitalize their marketing operations with these advanced technological tools, this study evaluates the topic with the question “What obstacles affect IT and Software companies on applying machine learning in digital marketing to promote their products?” The findings of the study interpret that lack of knowledge about the capabilities of AI and the results of failed attempts can create further obstacles and challenges for organizations such as investment risk, ethical challenges, data-related obstacles, recruitment challenges, and negative environmental impacts. Although these tools are created for the substitution of employees to decrease the drudgery workload for them, human labour plays the main role as an administrator, controller, or creator here. As knowledge is the most significant barrier to the implementation of machine learning methods, the solution is firstly about improving the expertise of managers and employees before attempting to apply these practices.