Artificial Intelligence Takes Center Stage at Intelligent Content Conference 2017

Who better to launch the next generation of content marketing than the people who popularized the discipline in the first place?

Joe Pulizzi (@JoePulizzi) and the Content Marketing Institute (@CMIContent) turned content marketing from buzzword into a business necessity. Now that content is a cornerstone of marketing strategy, Pulizzi and company say the next generation of content marketing is “intelligent content.” They argue that marketers must “scale your content, leverage the right technology, easily repurpose and reuse content, and deliver content to the right person, at the right time, regardless of device.”

To show marketers how, Content Marketing Institute is holding its Intelligent Content Conference, March 28-30, 2017 in Las Vegas. The 500+ person event aims to help marketers of all skill levels scale their content, processes and strategy by teaching them about topics as diverse as content strategy, automation, machine learning and AI. (Of particular note, Sam Han, director of big data and personalization at The Washington Post, will share how intelligent automation enhanced the paper’s election coverage.)

We interviewed Pulizzi to get the scoop on Intelligent Content Conference, why your content needs to get intelligent, and what role technologies like AI have to play in the next generation of content marketing. (Plus, he offered a special discount code at the end of this article for anyone interested in the conference.)

What is “intelligent content?”

Intelligent content is a strategic approach to enterprise content where we set up our processes, people and technology to better scale and deliver our content for valuable customer experiences. Intelligent content moves away from humans touching every single piece of content toward a more advanced publishing process that leans on data, smart usage of technology (including machine learning), and an integrated content department.

Artificial intelligence is a major theme of the 2017 Intelligent Content Conference. Why now? What are you seeing in the marketplace that inspired the focus on AI?

ICC has always focused on the importance of machine learning as a working part of marketing strategy. In the past, it was all theories. Today we actually have the technology to deliver better customer experiences without so many humans involved in the process. Yes, AI is hot right now in multiple industries, but what excites me is that we can deliver amazing information to more of our customers using technology today. To make it possible, this means we need to develop the strategy first. That's what ICC is all about.

How do you see the role of content strategist evolving in the coming years?

Important today, critical tomorrow. Content that is semantic, personalized and scalable needs to be structured properly or the technology is useless. Content strategists are the ones who set this up as a working strategy.

ICC is running a four-hour pre-conference session on AI and the Future of Content. What can attendees expect from that session?

Most marketers either don't see the opportunities of machine learning in content or aren't prepared to make it happen. We will include the smartest people on the planet for individual presentations, as well as interactive panels where Q&A will be provided. Attendees will leave with a good idea of where they need to take their content strategy as it pertains to AI and machine learning.

For those of us who attend and love Content Marketing World, how is ICC different?

ICC is best for mid-sized to larger companies, and focuses heavily on the strategic thinking and technology integration behind our content strategies.  ICC is best for those who lead, direct and implement the strategies (not as relevant for those that just create the content).

To save $100 on your ICC ticket, use code MAII100 at when you register for the event.