Acting ethically: how CMOs can use AI and data responsibly

With great power comes great responsibility, and ethical use of AI is essential for brand trust, regulatory compliance, and long-term growth. At its core, marketing has always been about building trust with customers. The use of AI doesn’t change that, but it does raise the stakes.

Every AI‑driven interaction becomes a moment of truth for a business, making responsible governance just as critical as creative execution. Therefore, for CMOs, the question is no longer whether to use AI, but how to use it ethically, transparently, and strategically.

Ensuring trust is at the core of operations

Today’s consumers are increasingly aware of how their data is collected and used. If AI-driven marketing feels in any way invasive, manipulative, or opaque, then the long-standing trust within customer relationships can evaporate quickly. Within the United Kingdom, for example, 77% of business leaders in 2025 cited "nagging issues" around trust, data, and ethics.

Simply put, if a customer wouldn’t feel comfortable if they knew how an AI system worked, then a CMO should not look to implement it within their operations. The best CMOs are treating trust as a measurable outcome, and that means favouring transparent, explainable AI models that don’t cross any ethical lines.

How CMOs can use data responsibly

As a result, CMOs should ensure their teams follow three principles when it comes to AI usage: consent, relevance and security.

With regulations like GDPR and evolving AI governance laws, ethical data use is also a competitive advantage. Brands that respect user privacy will increasingly outperform those that push boundaries until they’re forced to pull back.

There’s also the risk of their teams using Shadow AI for marketing activities. As mentioned previously, this is when employees are using unauthorised or unvetted AI tools and applications within operations. Studies currently suggest between 78-90% of organisations have employees engaging with Shadow AI, and if unchecked, this can lead to issues such as data leakage of sensitive customer information. While mitigating this issue typically falls under the remit of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), CMOs should promote the use of authorised AI platforms to ensure responsible use.

An open attitude to AI-generated content

Once these approved AI platforms are in place, they can help to accelerate content creation, from blogs and emails to video and podcast scripts. However, an ethical approach to using AI means transparency is needed here.

CMOs don’t need to label every AI-assisted or created asset, but human oversight is essential when it’s used for customer-facing content that contains product or company information. A good CMO will ensure that AI augments human creativity, and isn’t just used to replace editorial judgment. This is why we’re increasingly seeing AI policies being implemented by businesses worldwide.

One of the biggest mistakes a CMO can make is to treat AI as an authority rather than a tool. Algorithms don’t understand brand values, social context, or moral nuance; that’s what CMOs and their teams do. To this end, CMOs must ensure that final accountability always sits with people, not platforms. Decisions around messaging, targeting, and the customer experience should never be fully automated – it requires a human centric approach.

How Proactive PR supports ethical AI usage

If you’re a CMO and are unfamiliar with how your company is performing across AI, speak to our team about OSCAR. Not only can we advise how AI platforms describe and position your business with our brand‑new service, but crucially, we help you understand whether that the content you develop as part of this strategy aligns with ethical, transparent and responsible AI use.

When it comes to building an AI‑ready marketing strategy, our team has the experience to support everything from inception to implementation and ongoing benchmarking, ensuring your approach is both effective and ethically grounded.

Email us at hello@proactive-pr.com and discover how we can strengthen your marketing efforts this year and beyond.