Artificial intelligence and mass personalization of communication content—An ethical and literacy perspective

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is (re)shaping communication and contributes to (commercial and informational) need satisfaction by means of mass personalization. However, the substantial personalization and targeting opportunities do not come without ethical challenges. Following an AI-for-social-good perspective, the authors systematically scrutinize the ethical challenges of deploying AI for mass personalization of communication content from a multi-stakeholder perspective. The conceptual analysis reveals interdependencies and tensions between ethical principles, which advocate the need of a basic understanding of AI inputs, functioning, agency, and outcomes. By this form of AI literacy, individuals could be empowered to interact with and treat mass-personalized content in a way that promotes individual and social good while preventing harm.