Imagine hiring an intern for your marketing team. On day one, you hand them the office keys, full access to your customer database, and say: “Go do something useful”.
Sounds crazy, right?
But that’s exactly what some AI tools are asking you to do with your Mautic.
AI has arrived in marketing automation, promising wonders: self-writing emails, perfect segmentation, campaigns that optimize themselves. But between the hype and reality, there’s a dangerous gray zone where legal, ethical, and practical questions live. Questions that can cost you dearly.
This article isn’t about being against AI. It’s about being smart with AI.
The problem: Not all AI is created equal
When we talk about “AI for Mautic”, we’re lumping together completely different things. It’s like calling both a bicycle and a Boeing 747, “transportation”. Technically correct, but misleading.
Let’s clarify the spectrum:
The AI integration spectrum
| Level | What it does? | Data access | Pratical example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Writing Assistant |
Generates or improves text for emails, subject lines, CTAs | No database access. Only sees what you’re currently writing. | Plugin that suggests 5 subject line variations when you write an email |
| Level 2 Data Analyst |
Analyzes patterns, suggests segmentation, identifies trends | Reads metrics and behaviors. Ideally works with aggregated or anonymized data. | Tool that analyzes when your contacts typically open emails and suggests optimal send times |
| Level 3 Autonomous Operator |
Makes decisions, executes actions, accesses everything | Complete and unrestricted access to all lead data, including sensitive information and full history. | System that reads complete contact profiles, automatically decides scores, segmentation, and actions without human review |
The critical question: Many tools present themselves as Level 1 or 2, but operate as Level 3. And that changes everything.
The perfect storm: AI + GDPR + External APIs
This is where things get serious. We’ll focus primarily on the European Union context, though many principles apply globally.
If an AI tool:
- Accesses personal data from your contacts (names, emails, behaviors).
- Uses an external API (data leaves your infrastructure).
- Makes automated decisions (without meaningful human oversight).
Then you’re navigating through at least three areas of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which came into force on May 25, 2018:
| GDPR Article | Key Notes |
|---|---|
| Article 6: Lawful Basis | Generic “marketing” consent doesn’t cover AI processing. Do your contacts know their data is being processed by AI? |
| Article 22: Automated Decisions | Contacts have the right to explanation and human intervention. Can you explain why AI decided Lead X isn’t qualified? |
| Article 28: Data Processors | You need a signed DPA (Data Processing Agreement) with the AI vendor specifying processing details. No DPA = violation since day one. |
| Articles 44-50: International Transfers | Data leaving EU/EEA requires SCCs and risk assessment. Do you know where your data is physically processed? |
AI tool compliance checker
Answer these 7 questions to evaluate if an AI tool is safe to use with your Mautic instance.
What you should really look for in an AI Tool
Forget the marketing promises. Here’s what matters:
■ Green flags (good tool)
Radical transparency
- Open-source code or, at minimum, detailed technical documentation.
- Clear explanation of how the AI works.
- Exact list of what data is accessed and why.
Principle of least privilege
- Only requests absolutely necessary data.
- Doesn’t require “full admin access” without clear reason.
- Allows granular permission configuration.
Human control
- All important actions require approval.
- You can review and reverse decisions.
- AI suggests, you decide.
Compliance by design
- Provides DPA templates.
- Documents applicable legal bases.
- Includes features for data subject rights (export, delete, explain).
Local processing
- Ideally, AI runs on your infrastructure.
- If using API, it’s clear about location and security.
- Data isn’t retained after processing.
■ Red flags (run away)
Opacity
- “It’s proprietary, we can’t explain how it works”.
- Lack of technical documentation.
- “Trust us” as answer to security questions.
Excessive access
- Requires full administrative permissions “just because”.
- Accesses data unrelated to its function.
- Doesn’t allow limiting the scope.
Lock-in
- Difficult or impossible to deactivate.
- Data retained indefinitely.
- No export of processed data.
Absence of contract
- No DPA available.
- Vague terms about data processing.
- Doesn’t specify sub-processors.
Non-auditable decisions
- No logs of what AI did.
- Impossible to explain decisions to contacts.
- Complete “black box”.
The practical approach: How we do it at Crafting.email
When we developed our ChatGPT plugin for Mautic, we made deliberate choices:
What it does: Generates text for emails. Period. Subject lines, email body, CTAs.
What it does NOT do:
- Never reads your contact database.
- Never accesses metrics or behaviors.
- Never makes decisions for you.
- Never sends your leads’ data outside.
How it works:
- You write a prompt: “Create a subject line for a GDPR webinar”;
- The plugin sends ONLY that prompt to ChatGPT’s API;
- Receives text suggestions;
- You review, edit, use or reject;
- Zero personal data involved.
Why this approach?
Because we decided that AI’s writing power doesn’t justify the compliance risk. We prefer a less “magical” tool but completely transparent and safe.
Don’t fear AI, but respect it
The conclusion is simple: AI isn’t the enemy, careless implementation is.
The Mautic ecosystem has a unique opportunity: we’re open-source, we’re community, we can set the standards. We don’t need to accept “black boxes” because they’re convenient. We don’t need to sacrifice privacy for efficiency.
The best AI tools for Mautic will be those that:
- Respect your data.
- Are transparent in operation.
- Give you full control.
- Facilitate compliance instead of complicating it.
And if a tool doesn’t meet these criteria? Don’t use it. It’s simple.
The question isn’t “Is this AI powerful?”.
The question is “Can I sleep soundly knowing how this AI works?”.
If the answer is no, you know what to do.
