JOURNAL ARTICLE

Don't Let an AI Failure Harm Your Brand.

  • Published In: Harvard Business Review, 2025, v. 103, n. 4. P. 126 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: De Freitas, Julian 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on how companies should market artificial intelligence (AI) products while preparing for the inevitability of AI failures, based on research by a Harvard Business School marketing professor. It identifies five key consumer attitudes that influence reactions to AI failures: people tend to blame AI first, loss of trust in other AI systems after one failure, greater blame on companies that overstate AI capabilities, harsher judgment of humanized AI, and outrage over programmed group-based preferences. Using examples such as Cruise’s autonomous vehicle accident and Tesla’s Autopilot system, the article highlights the risks of misleading marketing and lack of transparency. It offers practical advice for managers to promote AI responsibly, protect their brands, and maintain consumer trust by understanding and addressing these pitfalls.

Additional Information

  • Source:Harvard Business Review. 2025/07, Vol. 103, Issue 4, p126
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Marketing
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0017-8012
  • Accession Number:185880790
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