The Future of Personalisation: AI, Ethics, and the Line Between Clever and Creepy

By Adam Oldfield, Founder & CEO of Force24.

AI is changing the game in personalisation. The days of static, one-size-fits-all email campaigns are thankfully on the decline, now replaced by personalised experiences that predict customer behaviour, anticipate needs, and automate engagement at a scale we could only dream of a decade ago when I started Force24. We are now moving to a world where AI is driving this even further, and I’m seeing first hand the difference this is making to the way marketing teams are operating and what else they’re now able to do. It’s a big part of what we’re doing at Force24 today, so I’d have to start by saying I’m in the camp of AI ambassadorship. It’s become part of my day-to-day. I’ve used it even in the last few days to suggest restaurants and find me holiday options.

I also see first-hand the enormous potential AI offers outside of just generative creation. From predictive analytics to real-time behavioural segmentation, the tools we are building are empowering brands to connect with customers in deeper, more meaningful ways.

But a few months ago, I watched a video that did make me feel a bit uneasy. It had been generated entirely by an AI video creation tool in the US called Sora, by OpenAI  which was made available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro Users. The script, the voices, the facial expressions, all convincingly human. It was polished, persuasive, and frankly, unsettling. It was not just the realism that struck me, but the implications. If AI can mimic human communication so seamlessly, where do we draw the line? At what point does “personalisation” become manipulation? That video was the first time I’ve questioned AI ethics in marketing and how, as an industry, we are going to toe the line between innovation and responsible practice. There is a fine line between clever and creepy when it comes to personalisation, and it is a line that brands must navigate carefully. The future of personalisation is not just about what we can do, but what we should do.

 

The Evolution of AI-Driven Personalisation

Marketing personalisation has always been about delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. We’ve been saying that at Force24 since day one. What has changed is how we do it.

• First Generation: Basic segmentation (for example, male vs female shoppers, new vs returning customers).
• Second Generation: Behavioural triggers (such as browse abandonment emails and next-step recommendations).
• Third Generation: AI-driven personalisation (including real-time content generation and predictive customer journeys)

Today, AI can not only analyse customer behaviour but anticipate it. It can decide which subject line will lead to a higher open rate, which image will resonate with an individual user, and even which emotional tone will make a customer more likely to engage. Big brands like Netflix have been doing this for a few years with their UI, such as poster artwork and blurb descriptions. This is incredibly powerful in the general, but if done badly can also become problematic.

 

Where AI Crosses the Line

AI-driven marketing becomes intrusive when it stops feeling like a helpful assistant and starts feeling like an all-seeing overlord. Take, for example, the fairly infamous case of a major retailer in the states predicting a teenage girl’s pregnancy before even her own dad knew, simply by analysing her shopping patterns. The brand’s marketing team thought they were delivering helpful recommendations through actually quite clever personalisation, but instead, they raised serious concerns about consumer privacy and overreach (oh ok, it was Target).

Some common ways AI personalisation can go too far:

• Overly intimate predictions – Customers do not always want brands to “know” them too well (for example, assuming someone is pregnant, grieving or recently divorced, moving house and so on).
• Hyper-targeted ads that feel invasive – Seeing an advert for something you mentioned in conversation, even if the algorithm simply predicted it.
• Algorithmic bias – AI personalisation can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or exclude certain groups.
• Manipulative engagement tactics – AI that exploits psychological triggers to keep users hooked, such as endless doom-scrolling and FOMO-based notifications. Whilst we encourage Force24 users to use fear as a motivator to act, it should be in a blend of key human sentiments, such as urgency, social proof.

 

The Ethical Dilemma for Marketing Leaders

As marketing automation providers, we are at the forefront of AI adoption, but we must also be the gatekeepers of ethical AI use.

Three key ethical questions every marketing leader should be asking:

1 Are we respecting consumer privacy and transparency?

• AI personalisation should be an enhancement, not a surveillance tool.
• Clear opt-in and opt-out policies and explainability should be non-negotiable.

2️ Are we creating real value for customers or just trying to boost engagement?

• AI should serve both businesses and customers.
• The goal should be meaningful connections, not just higher click-through rates.

3 Are we mitigating bias and ensuring fairness?

• AI algorithms learn from historical data, but history is not always fair.
• Marketers must actively check for unintended biases in AI decision-making.

 

The Role of Regulation and Industry Standards

Governments are beginning to catch up with AI’s rapid evolution.

• The EU’s AI Act aims to regulate high-risk AI applications, including those in marketing.
• GDPR already makes us factor in transparency around data collection.
• Google’s move to phase out third-party cookies signals a shift towards privacy-first marketing.

As a martech leader, I believe businesses in our space should not wait for legislation to force ethical AI use. We should lead the charge ourselves and set the example of how to make it work for everyone.

 

How We Are Building Ethical AI Into Our Platform

At Force24, we are actively considering these issues as we integrate AI into our roadmap. Some of the principles guiding our approach include:

• Transparency and Control – Users should always understand why they are seeing a particular piece of content and have the ability to opt out.
• Data Minimalism – Just because we can collect certain data does not mean we should. We prioritise need-to-know information over invasive tracking.
• Bias Auditing – Regularly testing AI models for fairness and unintended bias to ensure diverse and inclusive experiences.
• AI-Assisted, not AI-Controlled – AI should support human marketers, not replace them. Creativity, empathy and strategy must remain human-led.

The Future of AI Personalisation: What’s Next?

The next wave of AI in marketing will move beyond just automation and into true customer intelligence. Instead of just predicting what customers might want, AI will help brands understand why they want it.

• Conversational AI – More brands will use AI-driven chatbots and voice assistants for real-time personalisation.
• AI-generated content – Personalised video messages and dynamic content tailored to individual preferences.
• Emotion AI – AI that detects sentiment and mood to adjust marketing messaging accordingly (ethically, of course!).

The future is exciting but also uncertain. As leaders in marketing automation, we must ensure that AI-driven personalisation enhances customer relationships rather than exploits them.

My Final Thought: The Human Element Matters More Than Ever

AI is an incredible tool, but it is just that. A tool. The brands that win in the AI-driven future will not be the ones that rely solely on automation, but the ones that use AI to enhance human connection, not replace it. As we move into this new era of personalisation, my advice would be to ask yourself if you’re ever in doubt: If it would not feel right coming from a human, it should not come from AI either.

The brands that get this balance right will be the ones that customers trust, respect and choose, time and time again.

Watch how we’re implementing AI at Force24 in this video.