What can marketers learn from a doctor who wrote a book for parents about how to navigate the pitfalls of AI in their family life?

Quite a bit, or this would be a short column.

That's what kept coming to mind while reading Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI by pediatric surgeon Dr. Dana Suskind.

Dr. Suskind offers a four-part "HOPE" framework for parents. Each element of the framework below is a direct quote from her, while the commentary is neither hers nor AI's; you'll have to settle for my interpretation.

"H: Human connection is irreplaceable"

Any opportunity we have to deepen connections with each other is a gift. That includes learning from each other. If you have an opportunity to learn from a remotely competent human instead of AI, choose the human every time. It'll be a richer experience, you're likely to remember it better, and then you have all the intangible aspects of strengthening a relationship with a fellow human. 

It's also why I love books with rich human voices like Dr. Suskind's. Most of us can't learn from her directly, but her passion and experience leap off the pages (or, in the format I chose, they leap out of the audiobook). 

"O: Own the imperfections" 

Embrace your own imperfections when conducting any activity that involves human relationships. Adding too much AI polish can backfire.

Try to sound human. Know thyself, and sound like thyself.

I spend less time editing LinkedIn posts now than I did a couple of years ago because when everything sounds like AI, sounding like yourself becomes a differentiator. For this column, editor Lori Luechtefeld patches up some of my mistakes without messing with the voice. (Thanks, Lori!)

Another way to interpret “own the imperfections” is that when you work with AI and it messes something up, own up to it. An event organizer reached out to me this week because she noticed event listings on my personal site where dates were totally wrong. I apologized, saying I used AI badly here and totally missed it, and I was now reviewing all the erroneous listings — of which there were many. We should be able to admit when the human should have been in the loop but wasn’t.

"P: Protect the early years" 

This refers to child development, but "early years" can apply to a lot of other situations conceptually. What about new hires just getting started on a job who need mentorship and who are desperate to build relationship capital? What about a 50-year-old starting a new job or gig who needs to be trained on the corporate structure? What about onboarding a new client and getting to know each other? 

So much matters in those initial encounters. Once you have a relationship, you don't want to take it for granted, but you don't have to be as protective. You could create lots of videos and vibe-coded training materials for various kinds of orientations, but what if you also included lots of human-to-human interaction? First impressions matter.

"E: Enhance, don't replace"

This step of the framework reminds me of the writings of Alone Together author Sherry Turkle. In one memorable passage, she described how watching TV with children can be a bonding experience because you're together and focused on the same thing. Using AI with a colleague or client at the same time, on the same call or in the same room, can become a shared experience where AI facilitates rather than replaces the connection.

We needn't make either/or choices when it comes to adopting AI. This isn't about mutual exclusivity. Sometimes, we get forced into choices by employers or by tech platforms. We need to continue to assert our own choices.

Those choices should ensure that our relationships are human-nurtured. And maybe even human-raised. 

— David Berkowitz, Chief Community Officer, Marketecture Media

Who: Brand Marketers, Influencer and Creator Leads, Agency Executives, SEO and Content Teams

What: Creator agency Influencer and AI marketing platform Profound have launched Creator-First AEO, an offering that identifies which creators and content are influencing answers from ChatGPT and other LLMs, then applies that intelligence to creator campaigns. The Wall Street Journal reports Profound will repeatedly measure which creators appear in LLM results, potentially shaping everything from which creators brands hire to the titles and captions on their videos. Influencer CEO Ben Jeffries describes the loop: "Understand what AI is saying about your brand. Then create the evidence that helps shape what it says next." Rival platform Later introduced its own Creator AEO product in May.

Why it matters: Brands are now commissioning creator content not just for the humans who see it but for the models that use it as evidence. AEO just became a line item an agency will sell you, with measurement attached.

(The Wall Street Journal)

Who: Brand Marketers, Creative Directors, Challenger and CPG Brands, Production Leads

What: Michigan craft distillery Valentine Distilling and Detroit agency Farley Oil built their "Smoother Than You Expect" campaign for Mayor Pingree bourbon with generative-first production company Smoke&Oakum. There was no physical shoot for the central spot. Director Adam Witten says a traditionally priced production "would never have been brought to them in the first place," and describes the craft involved: DPs retained as consultants, full post professionals, and repeatedly saying no to the model's caricatures until casting was right. The backdrop: U.S. spirits sales fell 4.1% in the 52 weeks ending January 3, and regional brands compete against giant budgets.

Why it matters: The best case for generative production was never "cheaper ads." It's that challengers who want to swing big get offered ambitious ideas at all. This is that case, made by the people who shot it.

(LBB)

Who: Retail and Commerce Media Leads, Brand Marketers, Social Strategists, Agency Planners

What: The Drum's new documentary series "All Media Is Commerce Media" goes inside AI-driven product discovery across TikTok, Google, Albertsons, Philips, Circana, Kroger Precision Marketing, and Mirakl. The benchmarks it surfaces: TikTok searches are up 40% year over year, one in four users search within their first 30 seconds on the platform, 68% of consumers have purchased after seeing something on social, and social commerce is approaching 10% of e-commerce sales in beauty and personal care.

Why it matters: The numbers are quotable ammunition for anyone arguing that AI-mediated discovery has already moved the point of sale upstream.

(The Drum)

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