The Ethical and Legal Implications of Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Public Relations Campaigns in the United States

Authors

  • Michael James

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47604/ijcpr.2273

Keywords:

Ethical, Legal Implications, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Public Relations Campaigns

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to the ethical and legal implications of using big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns in the United States

Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.

Findings: In the United States, utilizing big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns presents ethical and legal challenges. These include concerns about privacy infringement through data collection, the risk of bias and misinformation in AI-generated content, and the necessity of complying with data protection laws like GDPR and U.S. regulations. Balancing the benefits of these technologies with ethical standards and legal compliance is a complex task for the PR industry in the U.S.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Utilitarianism Theory, Rights-based Ethics Theory & Deontological Ethics may be used to anchor future studies on the ethical and legal implications of using big data and artificial intelligence for public relations campaigns in the United States. PR professionals should receive mandatory training on these guidelines to ensure ethical use of data and AI tools. Advocate for industry-wide adoption of ethical standards and encourage professional organizations to enforce adherence to these standards as a condition of membership.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Brown, A., & Garcia, M. (2019). Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Public Relations Campaigns. Journal of Public Relations Research, 31(5-6), 276-294.

Chen, S., Wang, J., & Li, M. (2021). Ethical Implications of AI-Powered Product Recommendations in Public Relations Campaigns. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 15(3), 258-275.

Creemers, R. (2018). "AI and surveillance: A survey of the Chinese approach." SSRN Electronic Journal.

Da Bormida M (2021) The Big Data World: Benefits, Threats and Ethical Challenges. In: Ethical Issues in Covert Security Surveillance Research Vol 8 pp 77-98 https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-601820210000008007

Dey, P., & Lahiri, P. (2018). The ethical implications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in public relations. Public Relations Review, 44(3), 377-386.

European Commission. (2021). "Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonized rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act)." Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/proposal-regulation-laying-down-harmonised-rules-artificial-intelligence-artificial-intelligence

European Parliament. (2016). "Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation)." Official Journal of the European Union, L119, 1-88.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC). (2020). "Federal Trade Commission acts to protect consumers from deception of AI-Generated Recommendations." Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/04/federal-trade-commission-acts-protect-consumers-deception-ai

French Ministry of the Economy and Finance. (2018). "Guide to AI ethics." Retrieved from https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/PDF/2018/Guide_de_l_efficacite_ethique_intelligence_artificielle.pdf

Henz P (2021) Ethical and Legal Responsibility For Artificial Intelligence Discover Artificial Intelligence Vol1 Article number: 2 https://doi.org/10.1007/s44163-021-00002-4

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). (2020). "Explaining decisions made with AI." Retrieved from https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/documents/2610306/explaining-decisions-made-with-ai.pdf

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). (2020). "Explaining decisions made with AI." Retrieved from https://ico.org.uk/media/about-the-ico/documents/2610306/explaining-decisions-made-with-ai.pdf

Johnson, R., & Martinez, E. (2019). Legal Challenges of Deepfake Technology in Public Relations Campaigns. Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction, 11(4), 04519003.

Jones, K., & Patel, R. (2017). Legal Implications of Sentiment Analysis in Public Relations Campaigns. Public Relations Review, 43(5), 1010-1020.

Kant, I. (1785). Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals.

Kim, S., Park, J. S., & Lee, T. (2020). Legal Ramifications of Using AI-Generated Content in Public Relations. Journal of Promotion Management, 26(4), 466-486.

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism.

Ministry of Justice, Japan (MOJ). (2020). "Personal Information Protection Act." Retrieved from https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?vm=04&re=02&id=237

Nike Newsroom (2019) Nike Celebrates The Power Of Sport In New Campaign https://news.nike.com/news/nike-dream-crazier

Nuffield Foundation (2018) Ethical And Societal Implications Of Algorithms Data And Artificial Intelligence https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/Ethical-and-Societal-Implications-of-Data-and-AI-report-Nuffield-Foundat.pdf

Obimakinde, O., & Owolabi, T. (2019). "The role of privacy laws in data protection in Nigeria." International Data Privacy Law, 9(4), 275-288.

Oumer, A., Kassa, D., Leta, S., & Meharenet, G. (2020). "Application of artificial intelligence in public health and healthcare system data analytics: A review." International Journal of Data Science and Analysis, 6(6), 137-143. doi:10.11648/j.ijdsa.20200606.15

Pandey, S. (2019). "Data protection in India: The need for comprehensive legislation." Computer Law & Security Review, 35(2), 191-196.

Sakai, S. (2020). "Cultural bias in AI and machine learning: An unfair and inadequate response to unequal data." IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, 39(2), 62-68.

Smith, A. N. (2019). The ethics of artificial intelligence in public relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 31(1-2), 31-43.

Smith, E., Johnson, L., & Davis, C. (2018). Privacy and Consent Issues in Artificial Intelligence-Driven Public Relations Campaigns. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 6(1), 65-79.

Smith, M., Gregory, T., & Zeff, J. (2018). "Data breaches and the rise of big data analytics: Insights from a review of 30 years of literature." Computers in Human Behavior, 89, 98-107.

South African Government. (2020). "Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA)." Retrieved from https://www.gov.za/documents/protection-personal-information-act

Spotify Newsroom (2020) Spotify Wrapped 2020: The Year's Most Streamed Artists Podcasts Songs And More https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-12-01/spotify-wrapped-2020-the-years-most-streamed-artists-podcasts-songs-and-more/

White, A., Turner, J. S., & Lewis, S. (2018). Ethical Considerations of AI Chatbots in Crisis Communication for Public Relations Campaigns. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 23(4), 501-517.

Wu, H., & Du, X. (2019). Ethical issues in the use of artificial intelligence for public relations. In Handbook of Research on Cross-Cultural Business Education (pp. 243-261). IGI Global.

Downloads

Published

2024-01-19

How to Cite

James, M. (2024). The Ethical and Legal Implications of Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Public Relations Campaigns in the United States. International Journal of Communication and Public Relation, 9(1), 38 – 52. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijcpr.2273

Issue

Section

Articles