Can generative artificial intelligence help or hinder sustainable marketing?

The consumption and production of household goods and services is a significant contributor to climate change, which has led to the rise of more sustainable brands. The aim of this paper is to offer an analysis of the advantages, practical applications, limitations and ethical risks of GenAI within the realm of sustainable marketing. The paper contributes to the literature since there is a scarcity of scholarly research that explores what GenAI could mean for sustainable marketing. The findings show that GenAI is a double-edged sword: it has the potential to foster creativity, support brand activism, increase public support for ‘green’ policies, and improve efficiencies, however the potential for ‘ethics-washing’ could harm sustainable brands. Many countries have developed voluntary principles and frameworks to ensure that AI is practiced in a safe and responsible manner. A comprehensive classification of these principles is provided. Five key ethical principles are summarised such as benefiting society, avoiding harm, autonomy, justice, and explainability. The paper concludes with recommendations for bridging the gap between ethical principles and practices in the context of sustainable marketing, including selective disclosure, design of inclusive chatbots, use of visualizations to achieve sustainability goals, third party certification schemes, training and education. Recommendations for future research are outlined.