Intersection Ahead: The Discussion of Generative AI in Popular Press Versus Scholarly Works

Abstract

The release of ChatGPT has significantly impacted the way marketers engage with their current and potential customers. Our study explores how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is discussed in the popular press as well as scholarly articles. Using a systematic approach, we conduct a review of the popular press literature for the first year Gen AI was widely adopted (2023) to identify pros, cons, and use cases of Gen AI, resulting in the four overarching themes of content creation and efficient personalization, operational optimization & data-driven efficiency, customer experience enhancements, and ethical concerns, trust, and regulations. Next, we examine scholarly works through a targeted literature review. Lastly, we synthesize our findings for each of our overarching themes. Overall, our research indicates that while Gen AI is a novel approach to reach customers, the technology needs to be used with caution and care in order to preserve authenticity and minimize fear and skepticism.