Here at the Marketing AI Institute, we read a lot each week about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and related technologies. But not all of this content is valuable, actionable, or accurate. To create even more value for you, we wanted to share the news items, articles, and information that our internal experts found to be actually worth your time.
1. “So, if you could be here around 9, that would be great…”
In the hit movie Office Space, a motley crew of employees at software company Initech are fed up with corporate drudgery and overbearing managers. They hilariously act out their rage in escalating acts of rebellion, including one iconic scene where they destroy a hapless office printer. In the next few years, a remake would look a little different, if this article from WIRED is any indication. Titled Welcome to the Era of the AI Coworker, it describes how your next coworker, no matter what industry you work in, could be a machine.
This, says WIRED, will lead to a bold future of work where the people who thrive will be the ones who are adept at working with machine counterparts. This will, overall, be a good thing. AI will augment human activities, allowing people to perform the higher-level cognitive and creative tasks they actually find rewarding.
The article cites numerous examples:
Select law firms use AI to write the monotonous parts of legal memos, freeing up bright young lawyers to sink their teeth into more stimulating work. The Washington Post used AI to write the nuts and bolts of 850 stories last year, with editors and reporters adding the in-depth analysis and insight that readers crave. Human translators work hand-in-hand with machine ones; AI does the heavy lifting, humans provide the polish and creativity that machines can’t.
But be warned, says WIRED. For the people who ignore the rise of machines and don’t adapt accordingly, “the AI growth spurt is nothing short of an existential crisis.”
2. All the hype that money can buy
The market for AI solutions has a big problem: some companies are way too fond of hype. Buzzwords obscure what products actually do. Some firms make claims that don’t line up with what they can actually do. And it’s difficult to tell who actually uses real AI—and who has slapped the word “artificial intelligence” on a product.
This, says Topbots in this great read, creates a culture of distrust among consumers.
“As a result, companies — including those most likely to benefit from AI-driven solutions — are starting to doubt the claims of vendors plugging their wares. On the opposite side, marketers tasked with communicating the business utility of their AI products are left with a disinterested or distrusting audience.”
To counter this trend, Topbots offers smart advice for AI companies to cut through the crap. Turns out, this approach isn’t just the right thing to do. It also pays off. The articles top AI companies that are crushing it thanks to smart, clear marketing, including Sentient Technologies, Protagonist, and Tradeshift.
3. Welcome to the Machine Age
HubSpot, a provider of marketing automation software, regularly conducts masterclasses with experts to provide its audience with actionable information on marketing and technology trends. The latest example of this is Marketing in the Machine Age, a one-hour deep dive into artificial intelligence with Paul Roetzer, founder of the Marketing AI Institute.
We’re a little biased, but given the quality of questions from HubSpot and the attendees, we believe this to be one of the most valuable talks we’ve ever given on the subject of AI. In it, you’ll learn what artificial intelligence is (and isn’t), why it is about to transform marketers’ lives and jobs, and how to get started using it in your organization.
Over the hour, you’ll learn about solutions like natural language generation (NLG), natural language processing (NLP), and AI-assisted programmatic advertising. More importantly, you’ll come away with clear insights you can apply to your business.
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Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash