AI Usage for Online Business Owners
What (if anything) makes AI use ethical in business? What makes it unethical?
When Sammy Bohannon asked this question in her “AI and Small Business” survey, I accidentally wrote my first blog post. Here are my thoughts:
It’s ethical to use AI that is difficult to opt-out of and still run a business. Or as ethical as we can be under late-stage capitalism. Examples include Gmail labels (yes, that’s AI and you lose this feature if you turn off Gemini), editing programs like Riverside or Descript and automations in ClickUp for task management.
It would be challenging to run a business and have a quality client experience or track your one million to-do list items without tools that integrate AI. But there are many versions of AI that you don’t have to use for business management and providing quality services.
It’s unethical to use generative AI models that have a proven record of harming the environment and marginalized communities just because it makes your life easier. I’m not saying never use them, and I understand that AI can be a justified disability accommodation. But we should be thoughtful about how it’s used for our work and content.
For example, please write your own captions. We can tell when it’s AI-generated, so you are harming your business while trying to grow it. That’s a waste of your time and a waste of the environment’s time.
Another example is to please create your own lead magnet. If you need AI to help you with ideas or an outline, that’s fine (but also, please ask your network first). Since you are selling yourself as the expert, you should be the one writing the copy for your guide or quiz or worksheet. We want YOUR brain, not ChatGPTs.
I am morally obligated to point out that there is a LOT of grey area. If AI helps you grow your business to $100K+ annual profit, and you are donating even 5% of that to mutual aid? Amazing. If you feel the need to use AI so you can launch your presence on Pinterest and build long-term SEO, but you intentionally do that work for a season then step away? Great, you have engaged in thoughtful harm-reduction.
I’ve landed on using generative AI as little as possible, but that still has me engaging with it a few times a week because my current clients use it in their workflows. I mitigate the harm by designing containers (ex. custom GPTs) for the tasks that require it so I can minimize prompts and processing power.
As I’m growing my business, I spend lots of time considering where AI might create the financial freedom I need to continue my political activism or where it may be over-hyped and not worth my time.
Reflect on your usage regularly, never outsource your critical thinking, and make informed decisions. That’s ethical AI use.
