Influence or Exploitation? A New Standard for AI-Driven, Human-Centered Marketing

Everywhere I turn I’m talking to another pissed-off person who is fed up with the manipulation and mind tricks of marketing. 

We’re at a tipping point. 

Marketing has stopped being about connection and started being about control — headlines engineered to spike cortisol, countdown timers creating false urgency, AI-fed funnels pushing people toward choices they didn’t ask for. 

What was once a craft of communication has become a maze of psychological trickery.

But the truth is, most people aren’t anti-marketing. They’re anti-manipulation.

As The Marketing Psychologist, I’ve spent the past decade studying the difference — not just in theory, but in practice. And here’s what I know: marketing doesn’t need to manipulate to convert. It can invite, guide, and transform. And when it does, trust compounds faster than clicks.

It’s time to reframe the entire conversation.

*For the lurkers: I offer free 20-minute Brain Science Sessions (sans pitch) to answer your questions about ethical branding and non-manipulative marketing practices. Book here.

Influence Invites Agency. Manipulation Hijacks It.

Robert Cialdini’s foundational research in Influence laid the groundwork for why people say yes. Reciprocity. Social proof. Scarcity. We’ve seen these principles used in everything from Girl Scout cookie sales to tech onboarding flows (Cialdini, 2001).

But what we’re seeing now — particularly with the rise of AI — is something different. 

We’re watching influence morph into automation-fueled manipulation. Algorithms that optimize for conversion at all costs. Bots that anticipate emotional triggers and fire without pause.

AI doesn’t have a conscience. It doesn’t ask if the person is in crisis. It doesn’t stop to consider timing, tone, or trauma. It just watches, predicts, and pushes.

That’s where the line blurs. And where marketers need to draw it again.

The Ethical Blind Spot of AI

Unlike humans, AI doesn’t have a monkey brain. No inner critic. No voice saying “Maybe this is too much.” It simply observes patterns and executes what gets results.

That’s also what makes it dangerous.

As Deodhar and colleagues recently argued in Harvard Business Review, the future of responsible AI depends not just on regulation — but on ethical decision-making at every level of marketing design (Deodhar et al., 2024).

This called the ethical imperative of modern marketing. Because when a system is designed to optimize for urgency, and no one stops to ask, “Should we be doing this?” — you don’t get connection. You get coercion.

Transformation Is the New Standard

People don’t buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.

That’s the premise behind the “G” in my BELONG™ Framework: Guided Transformation. Ethical marketing doesn’t push. It walks beside. It says, “Here’s the change you’re looking for — and here’s how we can help you get there.”

Peter Winick says that modern thought leadership isn’t about volume — it’s about vision. And I agree. The most compelling brands aren’t shouting the loudest. They’re resonating the deepest.

When you market through the lens of transformation, you tap into the psychological process of agency. You offer clarity, not confusion. Growth, not guilt. And you build something far more valuable than a one-time sale: trust.

The Future Belongs to the Ethical

The rise of AI doesn’t mean the fall of humanity. But it does mean we need to lead with more intention than ever before.

If you’re feeling disconnected from your own marketing — if your funnel feels more like a trap than a guide — it’s not a tactics problem. It’s a trust problem.

And the good news is, that’s fixable.

It starts by asking better questions:

• Are we guiding or forcing?

• Are we building clarity or creating confusion?

• Would I be proud to walk someone through this process, step-by-step?

If not, the problem isn’t the market. It’s the method.

The brands that will win in the years ahead the ones committed to meaningful change — for themselves and for the people they serve.

Let’s stop marketing for transactions.

Let’s start marketing for transformation.

Curious how this all applies to you?

If this message sparked something for you, let’s talk.

I offer free 20-minute Brain Science Sessions for business owners and marketing leaders who are ready to explore how ethical branding and psychology-backed strategy can drive real, lasting growth — without manipulation, pressure tactics, or performative fluff.

I work with everyone from solopreneurs to celebrity personal brands ... so if you're curious, let's chat!

Whether you're building something new or trying to re-center an existing brand around trust and clarity, this conversation is designed to help you uncover exactly what’s working, what’s not, and what’s getting in the way.

There’s no pitch — just perspective. You bring your questions. I’ll bring the neuroscience.

Book your free session here.

Let’s reimagine what ethical, effective marketing can look like for your business.

Who is The Marketing Psychologist?

Chelsea Burns, M.S. - The Marketing Psychologist brings a profound understanding of human connection to the evolving landscape of business and entrepreneurship. Her groundbreaking graduate thesis, "A Sense of Belonging: Understanding the Female Entrepreneur's Connection to Self and Others," reveals compelling insights into the transformative power of community and belonging insights.

Combining her master's in applied psychology from USC with 16 years of marketing expertise, Chelsea is pioneering a mission to recenter business around humanity. She has developed methodologies that bridge the gap between psychological understanding and business growth. She is the founder and CEO of The Marketing Psychologist™ and the co-founder of Mumford & Burns Consulting. She is active in the global women’s collective FutureWomenX and serves as a RALLY mentor for The Mom Project .

Works Cited

Cialdini, R. B. (2001). Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Harper Business.

Deodhar, S., Yang, E., & Kim, M. (2024). Responsible AI Is About Values, Not Code. Harvard Business Review.

Edelman Trust Barometer. (2024). The New Trust Contract. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.

Kozyrkov, C. (2023). Decision Intelligence: Bridging Data Science and Human Decision-Making. Google Research.

Lund, N. F. (2022). The Effect of AI-Generated Content on Perceived Authenticity. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 32(2), 205–220.

Zaltman, G. (2003). How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market. Harvard Business School Press.