Google and Microsoft Execs On AI Literacy and Responsible Use

According to Sarah Kennedy, vp of global demand and growth marketing at Google Cloud, “we are in the middle of a revolution” when it comes to the possibilities of AI in marketing.  

But as corporate AI usage grows, so too have the concerns of customers and clients who are hesitant to trust entities’ automated systems with their information.

Kennedy and Buddy Phillips, senior director of sales enablement and responsible AI lead at Microsoft, spoke in back-to-back sessions at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference in Orlando addressing AI literacy and responsible use.

As both producers and consumers of AI, the tech giants encouraged marketers in attendance to adopt responsible frameworks for implementing the technology into everyday tasks to both lighten the load for employees and build trust amongst their customers.

AI literacy

Automation has made teams more efficient for decades, but Kennedy’s team at Google is beginning to explore how AI can facilitate employee tasks so the company can focus more on its customers.

Google conducts a quarterly self-reported survey to evaluate how AI is impacting workforce productivity. Nearly half of the company participates in the survey, and 45% of respondents reported that they save up to five hours per week using AI, nearly double from Q2 to Q3, according to Kennedy. That time is reallocated to focus on customers, or simply lighten their workloads.

But as AI becomes more prevalent and accessible, literacy is critical. Marketers should embrace a trial-and-error approach and the “humility of learning a new space and toolset,” she said.

“One of our most important obligations, for those of you who are leaders and managers of your teams, is to make your [talent] the most employable possible throughout their careers by upskilling [and] investing in their development,” Kennedy said.

To make quick yet informed decisions on AI use, Google has created a steering committee comprising senior executives that have the authority to make decisions about AI policies — a model Kennedy said other companies should adopt.