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Sourced from Futurism

Artificial Intelligence, Ai, Facebook, Facebook Ai

“Translation: ‘Our real users are quitting the platform, so we will fill our community with fake users instead.'”

Folks on social media are in an uproar after Meta announced that it’s planning to load Facebook up with AI “users,” better known as bots.

First reported by the Financial Times, this plan to populate the dying social network with these so-called “characters” is geared towards driving engagement — even though other platforms, including Meta’s Instagram, have been roiled by unauthorized bots for years.

“We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind of in the same way that accounts do,” Connor Hayes, Meta’s vice-president of product for generative AI, told the FT. “They’ll have bios and profile pictures and be able to generate and share content powered by AI on the platform… that’s where we see all of this going.”

While it’s unclear when this plan will move forward, Hayes said that there are already “hundreds of thousands” of characters that have been created on the site — though most, for now, remain private.

Unsurprisingly, users on the r/futurology subreddit saw right through the ruse.

“Translation: ‘Our real users are quitting the platform, so we will fill our community with fake users instead,'” one user wrote.

As another aptly put it, “the advertisers buying space on [Facebook] won’t be able to tell the difference either, so it’s all just more clicks and more ad revenue.”

The potential implications for advertising on the platform overall seemed to strike a chord with the Redditors.

“With advertising being their bread and butter and pretty much the reason they still exist, how is this legal and not misrepresenting numbers to clients?” another user mused. “If they tell advertisers that they get X number of impressions, engagement, etc. but those aren’t real people anymore, that seems like straight up lying. Wild that they’re just coming right out with it and doubling down.”

For others, the prospect of fake users is yet another reason they’re ditching Facebook.

“I rarely check my FB feed at all anymore, and when I do it’s almost entirely made up of pages I don’t follow and have never interacted with,” another user wrote. “There’s no way to actually get rid of them, just briefly mute them. So now we can look forward to our actual contacts being even harder to see among a bunch of fictitious users too.”

Unfortunately, those left on the platform — the elderly and assorted right-wingers who are regularly duped by obvious AI slop — may not be able to tell the difference.

“I think the old people that use it the most are the least likely to notice,” one user concluded.

Feature Image Credit: Image by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Sourced from Futurism

By Rocio Fabbro

From scouring subreddits to personalized messages from John Stamos, AI is helping target audiences in new ways

https://qz.com/known-agency-big-lebotski-chicken-subreddit-ai-stamos-1851695089

Artificial intelligence is helping marketers keep up with the rapid pace of change in the advertising industry, allowing them to stay nimble while also expanding their creative capabilities, says Kern Schireson, CEO of the full-service advertising agency Known. That’s making it easier for marketers to know exactly what you want — and how you want to see it.

“It’s a real asset to us as we look to work through a bunch of complex decisions on where and how to introduce messaging, where it’ll be most persuasive to our clients’ audiences. AI gets us there faster,” Schireson said in the latest episode of Quartz AI Factor, a video interview series set at the Nasdaq MarketSite (NDAQ).

But it’s not just an efficiency tool. Known also deploys AI to help tune advertisements to individual viewers, a gargantuan task that used to take far longer and use up considerable resources.

“If you want to do that manually, that’s an insurmountable level of content that you need to create,” Schireson said. “But if you have AI tuning and optimizing the creative iteration for the individual audience at the particular time of day, place context platform in which they’re receiving it, you can do that quickly and efficiently that creates opportunities that never existed before.”

Known ran a Super Bowl ad featuring John Stamos, Schireson said. Using AI, Stamos said the name of whichever city viewers were watching from, giving each individual viewer a different and more targeted experience.

Image for article titled AI is taking ad targeting to a new level. Here's how
Photo: Alexander Spatari (Getty Images)

 

In another example, the company’s AI chatbot, known as “The Big Letbotski,” dug through 80,000 active subreddits to identify the most relevant conversations about chicken sandwiches for its client, Shake Shack (SHAK). After finding 30 of the most content-specific subreddits, it ran targeted ads promoting its Chicken Shack Sundays giveaway in April. That helped Shake Shack beat sales estimates by 31%.

“The Big Lebotski helped look at the dimension of audience and the context of the conversation in that particular subreddit to say, ‘where is this gonna land, where it actually feels like it makes sense for people who are likely to be persuaded by it,’” Schireson said. “And so the intersection of those two questions was really where it helped us zoom in, and the performance speaks for itself.”

 

By Rocio Fabbro

Sourced from QUARTZ

By Deepak Bansal

Digital marketing is a rapidly evolving field, and as we move toward 2025, several emerging trends are set to reshape how brands connect with their audiences.

The upcoming years promise significant innovation, driven by technological advancements, changes in consumer behaviour and a deepening focus on personalization and data. As digital marketers, staying ahead of these trends is essential to create impactful strategies that drive engagement and results.

Here are six key trends to watch in 2025 and beyond.

1. Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In Marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have already transformed digital marketing, and I predict their role will become even more prominent, further optimizing everything from customer segmentation to content creation.

Chatbots and virtual assistants continue to evolve, soon providing more human-like interactions. As AI tools become more intuitive and accessible, businesses can automate routine tasks like lead nurturing and email marketing, freeing up human teams for more strategic work.

To prepare, marketing teams should develop skills in AI-driven content tools like Jasper and ChatGPT, particularly when it comes to customer segmentation and content personalization. I believe it will become important to have some familiarity with AI-driven customer service tools, such as chatbots equipped with sentiment analysis and natural language processing (NLP) features.

Overall, keep an eye on AI advancements in personalized user interactions that can interpret and respond to customer sentiment. This shift will allow brands to offer a more customized customer experience, making AI an essential asset in customer relations.

2. Voice Search And Voice Commerce

With the proliferation of smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home and Apple’s Siri, voice search has become a mainstream method for information gathering. A recent report by NPR and Edison Research shows that at least 35% of U.S. households now own a smart speaker, accelerating the shift toward voice commerce.

It’s important to note how voice search optimization differs from traditional SEO as users ask questions conversationally. Instead of typing “best coffee shops in Seattle,” a voice search might be “What are the best coffee shops near me?” Brands should focus on long-tail keywords and natural language to capture this growing audience.

3. The Rise Of Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR)

While AR and VR were once primarily associated with gaming, I see them now transforming industries like retail, allowing for immersive shopping experiences.

Major brands like IKEA and Sephora have already implemented AR. IKEA’s AR app allows users to view furniture in their own space, while Sephora’s AR technology lets users experiment with virtual makeup try-ons. These applications are reshaping customer expectations and proving AR’s utility across retail sectors.

For brands looking to embrace AR and VR, consider investing in an AR experience platform that aligns with your industry. For example, fashion and beauty brands could explore virtual try-ons, while real estate companies might benefit from virtual property tours. Early adoption can enhance customer engagement and differentiate brands in competitive markets.

4. The Continued Dominance Of Video Content

Video content remains a powerful force in digital marketing, with platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels focusing on short-form, interactive formats.

As consumer preferences shift toward snackable, engaging content, brands can use video to deliver information quickly and creatively. Here are my tips for creating engaging video content that speaks to developing trends:

• Embrace short-form and live streaming. Use live streaming for real-time engagement, which is ideal for launches or Q&As. On top of this, short-form platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts can boost reach. I find that tools like InShot and Canva can help simplify quality video creation.

• Adapt to new platform offerings to encourage interaction. With new features on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok, brands can leverage interactive tools (e.g., polls, live Q&As) to engage viewers. Regularly analyse metrics to refine content strategies based on what resonates most in each niche.

5. Personalization At Scale

Consumers expect personalized experiences across all digital channels. By 2025, I foresee personalization advancing beyond basic customization and enabling brands to deliver hyper-personalized content and recommendations.

To prepare for this increasing focus into hyper-personalization, I first recommend you invest in dynamic content platforms. Brands can consider platforms like HubSpot or Marketo that offer advanced personalization features. Look for ways to create dynamic content adjustments that reflect user data, ensuring messages are relevant to each visitor.

AI-driven personalization can also allow your brand to design user journeys that proactively meet customer needs. Develop campaigns that consider various stages of the buyer journey, from interest to decision-making, for highly relevant interactions.

6. Social Commerce and Shoppable Content

The line between social media and e-commerce is blurring, with platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest integrating in-app shopping features. This development allows consumers to purchase products directly from their social media feeds, creating a seamless browsing-to-purchase experience.

To optimize for social commerce:

• Create engaging, shoppable content. Focus on visually appealing and interactive content that encourages sharing. Use shoppable posts on Instagram and Facebook to streamline the buying process and improve conversion rates.

• Partner with influencers. Collaborate with influencers or incorporate user-generated content to broaden reach. This strategy helps build credibility and connects your brand with new audiences.

Preparing For 2025 And Beyond

To stay competitive, I believe marketers need to embrace emerging technologies, prioritize personalization and adapt to shifts in consumer behavior. AI, voice search, AR and video will dominate digital marketing in 2025, while data privacy and sustainability will become essential for shaping customer relationships.

I think the brands that thrive are the ones that blend innovation with authenticity, creating meaningful, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers. By staying ahead of these trends, digital marketers can craft impactful campaigns that build lasting connections with their audiences.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Deepak Bansal

Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Deepak Bansal, Director of Digital Marketing, Atihsi LLC and CEO & Founder, Clearpath Technology Pvt Ltd. Read Deepak Bansal’s full executive profile here.

Sourced from Forbes

By Jack Kelly

As we stand on the cusp of a new year, the job market continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological advancements and shifting economic realities. In this dynamic environment, professionals across all industries are recognizing the critical importance of upskilling and reskilling to remain competitive and relevant.

The coming year presents a golden opportunity to invest in yourself by acquiring the in-demand skills that employers are actively seeking, ensuring you’re well-positioned for career growth and new opportunities in an increasingly digital and automated world.

The rapid acceleration of digital transformation, catalysed by recent global events, has reshaped the way businesses operate and the skills they require from their workforce. From artificial intelligence and data analytics to cloud computing and cybersecurity, the demand for tech-savvy professionals continues to soar across sectors.

In-Demand Hard Skills For The New Year

As traditional job roles evolve and new positions emerge, the ability to learn and adapt quickly has become a critical asset in itself. By proactively developing these in-demand hard skills, you not only enhance your marketability but also position yourself to thrive in the face of future disruptions and opportunities in the job market.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning are becoming indispensable skills in the job market, with their importance growing exponentially across industries. The demand for AI-related skills is 3.5 times higher than the average job skill, reflecting the rapid integration of these technologies in various sectors, a PwC report revealed.

This surge in demand is driven by the transformative potential of AI and ML in the workplace. This fast-emerging technology is expected to automate up to 300 million jobs in the United States and Europe, according to investment bank Goldman Sachs, while simultaneously creating 97 million new roles that require advanced technical skills, as predicted by the World Economic Forum. This shift is not just about job displacement; it’s about job evolution. Companies adopting AI are planning to expand their workforce, with 91% of firms integrating AI aiming to increase their employee numbers by 2025.

2. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing skills will remain in high demand, as the industry continues its explosive growth and transformation of business operations across sectors. Gartner forecasts global end-user cloud spending to reach $723 billion in 2025, a 21.5% increase from the previous year.

The rise of generative AI and the need for integrated platforms are accelerating cloud adoption, with 90% of organizations projected to have hybrid cloud deployments by 2027. As organizations continue to migrate their applications and workloads to the cloud, with 48% planning to move at least half of their applications within a year, proficiency in cloud computing will be crucial for professionals looking to stay relevant in the rapidly evolving job market of 2025.

3. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity skills are highly coveted, as the digital landscape faces unprecedented threats and skyrocketing costs associated with cybercrimes. By 2025, global cybercrime costs are projected to reach a staggering $10.5 trillion annually, according to a report by Cybercrime Magazine.

This surge in cybercrime is accompanied by a severe shortage of qualified professionals in the field. The cybersecurity job market is expected to grow by 33% between 2023 and 2033, with an estimated 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions worldwide by the end of 2025. This talent gap is further exacerbated by the rapid evolution of cyber threats, with encrypted threats increasing by 92% in 2024 and malware rising by 30% in the first half of the same year.

4. Data Analysis

Businesses are increasingly relying on transforming unstructured data into actionable insights to drive growth, improve user satisfaction and maintain a competitive edge in the market. The demand for data analytics expertise is surging across industries, with trends like AI-enhanced analytics, natural language processing and advanced data visualization reshaping how organizations leverage their data assets.

As organizations grapple with the challenges of data quality and governance, professionals skilled in ensuring data integrity and implementing effective data strategies will be in high demand, making data analysis an essential skill.

5. Digital Marketing

In today’s digital landscape, businesses are leveraging online social platforms to connect with and engage their target audiences and customers.

With global digital ad spending projected to surpass $740 billion in 2024, and over 5 billion social media users worldwide, proficiency in digital marketing strategies will be crucial for professionals looking to thrive in the competitive job market.

Feature Image Credit: Getty

By Jack Kelly

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Jack Kelly has been a senior contributor for Forbes since 2018, covering topics in career development, job market trends and workplace dynamics. His articles often focus on practical advice for job seekers and employees, as well as covering the latest news impacting workers so they can make informed decisions about their careers. Read More

Sourced from Forbes

By Rachel Curry

SearchGPT is already dubbed by some as the “Google killer.”

Arvind Jain, a former Google (GOOGL) engineer and now CEO of the enterprise A.I. search platform Glean, never saw Google’s approximately 90 percent market share in online search as overtly anticompetitive—after all, Google always had a superior search product, Jain said. In recent years, however, innovation seems to have given way to profitability. “The experience was getting worse, especially on mobile devices, where there are just way too many ads on the page,” the former Googler told Observer.

For the first time in many years, competition is ramping up. In July, OpenAI announced SearchGPT, an A.I.-powered search engine that many already dubbed the “Google killer.” Smaller players, such as Perplexity AI, are also gaining momentum in the search space.

“There is more serious competition than ever before,” Ashwini Karandikar, executive vice president of media, technology and data at the American Association of Advertising Agencies, an industry group, told Observer. Karandikar’s prescience is rooted in decades of industry experience, during which she witnessed digital advertising go from just 5 percent of a company’s advertising budget to practically 100 percent.

Technologically, answer engines powered by large language models (LLMs) have the potential to shake up the search and digital advertising markets, but Jain doesn’t think they’re not yet commercially ready. “Personally, as a user, I don’t feel comfortable going to these answer engines,” he said. That’s because most of them don’t provide the source of information from which they generate answers. Some chatbots are starting to cite sources, but this feature is still in the early stages. Ultimately, competitors will have to lean into a hybridized search solution, said Jain, which will combine plain search and plain answers for an optimized user experience.

That need for transparency has roots in the trust gap highlighted by consumer-facing A.I. products. The A.I. trust gap is “the sum of the persistent risks (both real and perceived) associated with A.I.,” Bhaskar Chakravorti, a business professor at Tufts University, wrote in a recent article for the Harvard Business Review. Common concerns around A.I. include deepfakes, hallucinations, data privacy and A.I.’s inherent black-box problem. Last year, Pew Research found that 52 percent of Americans feel more concerned than excited about the increased use of A.I., with people particularly torn about its application for finding accurate information online.

To establish public trust, companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon are all prioritizing self-regulation. These companies are on a steering committee for a truth-seeking organization called C2PA, or the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. It’s an “open technical standard providing publishers, creators and consumers the ability to trace the origin of different types of media,” according to the coalition’s website.

Brand recognition will play a major role in trust, something Google simply has more of, said Andrew Frank, an analyst at Gartner. “People trust results because they see that they’re appearing on a search results page that they are familiar with,” he told Observer. “If you go to Perplexity, for example, as an alternative search engine, it has some powerful capabilities, but it doesn’t have that established brand trust yet that makes you feel confident that the results it’s giving you are unbiased and authentic.”

However, as the competitive landscape in search and digital advertising inevitably evolves, the leading position is not set in stone. Google is currently facing multiple antitrust charges over its dominance in the online search market. “Whatever happens with the trials, we’re definitely looking at a situation where marketers, in particular, are going to have to diversify their approach and do a lot more experimentation and testing of new channels, new techniques, new strategies for search and discovery,” said Frank, adding that this push forward is “mostly because of the impact of generative A.I.”

As new competitors enter the arena, monopoly concerns are not entirely assuaged. OpenAI itself is backed by Bing creator Microsoft. Meanwhile, Google is keeping up with A.I. trends with new products like AI Overviews. It’s possible the competitive waters will just get muddied. Nonetheless, innovation is already responding, and a somewhat consolidated market is good, said Frank. “We don’t want to see the same kind of fragmentation that made digital media so difficult to deal with in the early days,” he said.

Feature Image Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

By Rachel Curry

Sourced from Observer

 

By 

References to something called “Windows Intelligence” has been spotted in the latest Windows 11 builds.

What you need to know

  • According to a file surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft could rebrand its AI-powered features in Windows to Windows Intelligence.
  • The potential Windows Intelligence rebrand is reminiscent of Apple Intelligence.
  • Last year, Microsoft rebranded its AI service from Bing Chat to Copilot.

Following Microsoft’s multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, the tech giant ventured into the artificial intelligence landscape face-first, integrating the technology across its tech stack and unveiling Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) in February 2023. Since then, the AI chatbot has undergone critical changes, including Microsoft moving away from the “Bing brand,” integration of advanced features, and more.

Recently, Microsoft shipped a massive update to its Copilot AI, overhauling the service user experience with new features, including Copilot Vision. However, the drastic changes seem to be a miss for many users. Users have taken to social media to express their displeasure with the new update, citing a degraded user experience. Some have blatantly expressed their preference for Copilot’s previous version and even requested Microsoft to introduce a toggle button that would allow them to switch back to it.

Microsoft has seemingly remained silent about the issues highlighted through user feedback. Now, references from the appprivacy.adml file shared on X suggests the company could potentially group Windows 11’s AI-powered features under one umbrella called Windows Intelligence (via TechRadar).

As you may know, Apple unveiled its new AI strategy earlier this year, branding it Apple Intelligence. Microsoft’s potential branding strategy for Windows 11 AI-powered features is oddly reminiscent of Apple’s AI strategy. While details about the possible rebrand are under wraps, it could indicate that Microsoft is doubling down on its AI efforts and looking to place its services under one roof in Windows, including Copilot.

Our sister site, TechRadar, pointed out, that this isn’t the first time Microsoft has used Windows Intelligence. The tech giant has previously used the term while talking about cybersecurity upgrades.

Copilot is going through not so great changes

The Microsoft Copilot app is being displayed on a smartphone (Image credit: Getty Images | NurPhoto)

 

The recent Copilot update has received considerable backlash from users, including Microsoft staffers who have blatantly indicated that it’s “a step backward” and “absolutely ruined” the tool’s experience.

Interestingly, in an interview, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman recently indicated that Copilot might evolve into more than just a tool and become an AI companion:

“I mean, this is going to become a lasting, meaningful relationship. People are going to have a real friend that gets to know you over time, that learns from you, that is there in your corner as your support.”

RELATED: Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC launch has been a disaster

Multiple users have already depicted some instances of the highlighted while interacting with the chatbot. “It tries to be my friend when I need it to be a tool,” indicated a concerned user. It’ll be interesting to see how Microsoft addresses the issues highlighted concerning Copilot’s degraded user experience and whether it will rebrand its AI-powered features to Windows Intelligence.

Feature Image Credit: Satya Nadella on stage at an event in London talking about Copilot (Image credit: Windows Central)

By 

Sourced from Window Central

By Ramzi Ahmad

AI boosts marketing effectiveness and ROI, with privacy in focus

AI in Marketing: Transforming Strategies and Enhancing Engagement

Let’s talk about how technology and AI in marketing are changing the game for businesses. We all know how much we rely on our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and even smartwatches to stay connected and get things done. Social media makes it super easy to communicate and share ideas, and the internet has completely reshaped how we shop, learn, and even job hunt. With the rise of artificial intelligence in marketing, especially in the financial world, we’re seeing some really exciting developments.

85% of customer interactions will be managed without human agents by 2025  source Gartner, 2021

85% of customer interactions will be managed without human agents by 2025 source Gartner, 2021

This is all about understanding how AI helps us figure out mobile users’ behaviour and makes marketing strategies with AI way more effective.

How AI Influences User Behaviour

Technology plays a huge role in shaping how we act as consumers. It’s now easier than ever for customers to jump from one platform to another if they’re not satisfied. That’s where mobile devices and AI tools come in.

80% of consumers prefer brands offering personalized experiences (Epsilon, 2021)

80% of consumers prefer brands offering personalized experiences (Epsilon, 2021)

Key benefits:

  • Analyses vast amounts of data in real-time

  • Predicts customer preferences based on behavioural patterns

  • Personalizes user experiences to enhance engagement

  • Increases customer retention through targeted messaging

These tools help businesses predict and analyse what customers want, making marketing efforts more personalized. Back in the 1950s, AI started gaining attention, and now it’s helping businesses process data to create personalised strategies. AI and data analytics are important for businesses to stay competitive and deliver better customer experiences.

An example of PMax campaign

With PMax, the AI-driven tool took over the heavy lifting by analysing customer data across platforms like search, display, YouTube, and Gmail.

The goal was simple: deliver the right message to the right audience, regardless of where they were online. Within weeks, the PMax campaign started delivering the first results. and by the end of the campaign, the conversion rates are 25% higher than the traditional campaigns, as the AI automatically optimized ad placements and budget allocations.

Example of Pmax Campaign

Example of Pmax Campaign

It also provided real-time insights, revealing that younger customers engaged more with YouTube videos, while older clients preferred detailed search and display ads. So in this case, we took full advantage of AI in the PMax campaign; we were able to increase lead generation while reducing ad spend, conversion rate, and cost/conversion. This not only improved the performance but also allowed us to target specific customer segments with highly personalized content.

AI in Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is all about getting the right info to the right people, anytime and anywhere. It allows businesses to fine-tune their strategies based on gender, age, and location.

As technology evolves, AI in mobile marketing brings more interactive, visual, and audio experiences, making marketing more effective. But let’s not forget about the challenges—small screens and ad fatigue can mess with the user experience.

Research shows that success in mobile marketing comes down to factors like entertainment, personalization, and trust. People respond well to engaging content but get turned off by repetitive, annoying ads.

AI-driven segmentation can increase marketing ROI by up to 30% Source: McKinsey, 2021

AI-driven segmentation can increase marketing ROI by up to 30% (Source: McKinsey, 2021).

Factors Influencing Mobile User Behaviour

A bunch of things affect how people use mobile devices—income, age, gender, occupation, and even socio-cultural elements like beliefs and family. for example: Younger users might focus on fashion, while older users are more into household goods.

Economic factors also play a big part in purchasing decisions. When it comes to mobile marketing, how people feel about the benefits and risks of sharing their data is huge. AI steps in by helping businesses analyse user behaviour and deliver more personalised experiences, which improves marketing strategies.

  • Personal Factors (Age, Gender, Occupation): 35%
  • Socio-Cultural Factors (Beliefs, Family, Values): 20%
  • Economic Factors (Income, Pricing, Spending Habits): 25%
  • Technological Factors (Ease of Use, Privacy Concerns): 15%
  • Psychological Factors (Trust, Device Attachment): 5%

Source: Finance Magnates Intelligence

Role in Marketing Strategies

AI has a massive impact on marketing, especially in areas like product management, service innovation, and pricing strategies. These tools assess how well products meet customer needs and enhance recommendation systems.

They even adjust prices dynamically based on customer preferences and competitor actions; it also delivers personalized messages and helps align social media content with customer preferences, making marketing efforts more effective.

AI adoption in marketing has grown from 20% in 2018 to a projected 80% by 2025 (Statista, 2022)

AI adoption in marketing has grown from 20% in 2018 to a projected 80% by 2025 (Statista, 2022)

Consumer Behaviour

AI is transforming how businesses connect with customers. It processes data quickly, helping marketers target content and meet customer needs in real time. By analysing big data, AI enables more efficient marketing strategies and personalized user experiences.

In short, it’s all about understanding consumer behaviour and adapting to market trends. The data-driven insights that AI provides are what help businesses build customer satisfaction and loyalty.

To dive deeper into the transformative role of AI in consumer behaviour and how it shapes marketing strategies, I recommend checking out the recent paper by Cutler and Culotta from MDPI’s 2023 review. This paper provides detailed insights into how AI tools analyse big data and how it has a direct effect on enhancing consumer engagement and optimizing marketing campaigns.

Personalization

AI-powered personalization is all about delivering content that fits user preferences. This not only enhances the user experience but also boosts brand loyalty and sales. A good example of this will be that Google has integrated AI-powered tools into its shopping services, allowing users to get personalized style recommendations and even virtually try on products. “No two shoppers are alike.”

To quote Sean Scott, VP/GM Consumer Shopping, “No two shoppers are alike,” shows you how these AI-driven features are making sure that users see products tailored to their tastes, creating a more intuitive and enjoyable shopping experience.

However, while personalization saves time and improves engagement, it also raises privacy concerns. Still, users tend to share more data when they see clear benefits like easier decision-making and better experiences.

Optimization

This is where the big role of AI comes into play, as it can optimize various aspects of ad campaigns, from cutting costs to improving targeting and content relevance. which helps businesses spend more efficiently by analysing user behaviour and ad performance.
It also ensures that ads reach the right audience by checking preferences, behaviours, and demographics.
and we know how important this level of optimization is, especially during the early phases of the campaigns.

Segmentation and Positioning

Its no secret that segmentation is a key to success for email marketing, but what if I tell you it goes beyond that? Segmentation is any step of every marketing channel, and AI helps advertisers segment their audience more accurately by analysing big data, and this allows them to tailor their messages for different groups, improving campaign effectiveness. It also helps in positioning products by evaluating market trends and consumer preferences, making sure that it remains relevant and impactful.

Ethical Considerations in AI-Driven Marketing

While AI brings plenty of benefits, it also raises ethical concerns, especially around data privacy. We know that AI relies on large datasets to improve customer experiences, but we all agree that businesses must respect privacy rights and give users control over their data. Transparency and security are key concerns, and collaboration between all stakeholders is a very important step to make sure that AI is used responsibly.

Marco Iansiti, professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, highlights the importance of ethics in AI, stating, “As firms drive immense scale, scope, and learning, there are all kinds of really important ethical considerations that need to be part of the management philosophy from the get-go.”

And to wrap this up, I will go with the people’s favourites, the headline grabber, who is well known for his cautionary view, and almost on every occasion he highlights the potential dangers of AI, and one of the leads advocates for regulations: “AI developers and researchers should prioritize building systems that align with human values and moral principles.” — Elon Musk

Conclusion

In conclusion, we know now that integrating AI in marketing is revolutionizing how businesses connect with consumers, and the rise of mobile devices has created new opportunities for marketing. One of the key aspects is to analyse mobile user behaviour and process large datasets to help businesses develop more effective strategies and optimize user experiences.

The power of AI not only makes marketing campaigns more efficient but also opens new doors for data-driven decision-making. As we increasingly rely on these tools, one thing we must always keep in mind is the ethical considerations regarding data, privacy, and user consent. A transparent approach is important for any AI-driven strategy.

Let’s not forget, we are still in the early stages, and we are continuing to explore the potential of AI in marketing.

By Ramzi Ahmad

Ramzi Ahmad is a marketing expert with over 15 years of experience in strategic planning, digital marketing, and brand management. A thought leader in the marketing industry, he provides insightful analysis of current trends and effective strategies. Ramzi combines academic insights with practical experience, delivering a unique perspective that appeals to both seasoned professionals and those new to the field. His writing skilfully translates complex marketing concepts into practical advice, making sophisticated market dynamics accessible to a wide audience.

Sourced from Finance Magnates

By Sana Uqaili

ChatGPT has been around for over six months, and while the initial excitement of having a “robot assistant” may have faded, it continues to surprise with new use cases.

In this post, we’ll explore some effective ways to leverage ChatGPT for SEO, digital marketing, and management tasks, making your workflows more efficient and impactful.

1. Keyword Research with ChatGPT

While ChatGPT isn’t the best standalone keyword research tool, it can still play a crucial role in the process.

Standard keyword tools often give everyone the same results, increasing competition for those keywords.

However, ChatGPT can help you think outside the box by suggesting unconventional seed keywords.

For example, if you’re researching keywords for a golf website, you can ask ChatGPT to generate a list of related terms that are less obvious, helping you uncover untapped opportunities.

You can then input these keywords into traditional tools like Ahrefs or Keywords Explorer to find easy-to-rank topics.

This method has helped me find keywords with over 35,000 monthly searches that competitors haven’t yet capitalized on.

Combining ChatGPT’s creative output with a robust keyword tool can give you an edge in finding less competitive but highly valuable topics.

And if you’re looking to put your entire content strategy on autopilot, Expert Writer AI is the perfect tool to streamline your keyword research, blog writing, and affiliate marketing efforts all in one go.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

2. Short-Form Copywriting Made Easy

One of the best uses of ChatGPT is for short-form copywriting, like creating email subject lines, meta descriptions, or ad copy.

While the tool is decent out of the box, I’ve found that refining the prompts produces even better results.

Start by setting the tone or voice you want the copy to have.

For instance, you might tell ChatGPT to write in the voice of a specific persona or with a particular tone, like humorous or formal.

You can also ask ChatGPT to generate multiple variations, giving you more options to choose from.

Here’s a personal example: When writing ad copy for a new product launch, I asked ChatGPT to generate five different versions of a Facebook ad.

This gave me a variety of angles to work with and sparked new ideas that I hadn’t thought of initially.

To take it a step further, you can use Expert Writer AI to automate your content strategy and blogging process, ensuring high-quality, optimized content without the manual effort.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

3. Using ChatGPT as a Query Builder

For marketers who use advanced tools like Ahrefs or Web Explorer, ChatGPT can help create complex search queries that save time and find valuable opportunities.

By teaching ChatGPT specific search operators and combining them creatively, you can discover potential backlink opportunities or unlinked brand mentions.

For example, you can instruct ChatGPT to construct a query that finds mentions of your brand across the web that aren’t currently linking to your site.

This is a great way to identify opportunities to reach out and build more backlinks, ultimately improving your site’s authority and search engine ranking.

4. The Free Consultation Trick

One of my favorite ways to use ChatGPT is what I call the “free consultation.”

It works just like those free consultations businesses offer when you’re about to hire them for a service.

You can ask ChatGPT for advice on a wide range of topics, from podcasting to SEO strategies, and get actionable responses instantly.

For example, when I wanted to start a podcast but didn’t know how to differentiate it from others, I asked ChatGPT for creative suggestions.

It helped me come up with unique ideas, such as interviewing small business owners instead of just SEO experts.

The best part? This advice comes without the high price tag that often comes with professional consultations.

Even if you don’t follow every suggestion ChatGPT provides, it’s a great way to get your creative gears turning.

You’ll often leave these “consultations” with new insights and strategies you hadn’t considered.

5. Creating Long-Form Content with ChatGPT

Initially, ChatGPT wasn’t great at creating long-form content because the results often felt generic and boilerplate.

However, with GPT-4 and a well-defined workflow, the tool can now produce a decent first draft of long-form content.

There are two key factors that will make ChatGPT effective at writing longer content.

First, you need to choose the right topic — one that doesn’t require deep expertise.

For example, topics like “how to take a screenshot on a Mac” are ideal because they are straightforward and don’t require specialized knowledge.

Second, providing a detailed outline ensures that the structure and flow of the content meet your standards.

By giving ChatGPT an outline with bullet points, subheadings, and key details, you’re able to steer the content in the right direction.

The AI then becomes more of a tool that helps you flesh out ideas, rather than doing all the work for you.

Once ChatGPT provides a first draft, you can edit, add multimedia, and refine the tone to ensure the content meets your audience’s expectations.

6. Automating Email Replies with ChatGPT

One of the most time-saving uses of ChatGPT is for responding to detailed emails.

Instead of spending 20 minutes crafting a thoughtful response, you can provide ChatGPT with a rough outline and let it do the heavy lifting.

For example, when replying to a candidate who asked multiple questions about a job role, I gave ChatGPT a brief outline of what I wanted to say.

The AI created a professional yet casual response that sounded natural and saved me a ton of time. I even had ChatGPT adjust the tone to match my style, making the email sound more authentic and less corporate.

Final Thoughts

As AI continues to evolve, we’re discovering new ways to use tools like ChatGPT in our daily workflows.

Whether it’s conducting keyword research, writing ad copy, or responding to emails, ChatGPT offers solutions that make tasks faster and more efficient.

And if you’re looking to automate your content creation and marketing strategy, Expert Writer AI is the perfect solution for setting everything on autopilot.

Click here to visit Expert Writer AI and subscribe to its waiting list, which will make you eligible to get its early bird discount on launch.

With the right combination of AI tools and a bit of creativity, you can take your digital marketing game to the next level.

Stay tuned for more tips and tutorials, and start leveraging AI to streamline your workflow!

Note: This article contains an affiliate link to an external site. If you click on the link and make a purchase, I might get a commission at no additional cost to you.

Feature Image Credit: Dastmyer SEO AI Image Creator

By Sana Uqaili

A content strategist and SEO specialist who can get your website ranked on the first page of Google in a matter of weeks! Visit dastmyerseo.com for more info.

Sourced from Medium

By Kyt Dotson

Inbound marketing and customer relationship management platform HubSpot Inc. introduced Breeze, the company’s artificial intelligence.

It underlies the entire customer solution for go-to-market teams designed with a copilot, automated AI agents and a unified view of customer management.

Dylan Sellberg, director of product at HubSpot, told SiliconANGLE in an interview that although AI has promised to provide transformative value to customers and business at large, it hasn’t gotten there quite yet. Part of the problem appeared to be because AI was difficult to use and it required a vast pool of data to work with. That’s why HubSpot introduced Breeze, an easy-to-use AI companion and system integrated throughout the entire platform that takes advantage of the data, resources and context that the company’s customers work with every day without requiring any technical expertise.

“Breeze Copilot is a product that helps you use HubSpot more efficiently,” said Sellberg. “It’s your assistant. It’s interwoven throughout the entire product. Copilot will exist on every page and every app as a panel that you can talk with, but also as an embedded element.”

Copilot can be summoned by marketing, sales and services teams as a chat-based AI to offer personalized insights and recommendations about leads, customers and engagements. It is aware of the full context of what’s happening on the screen – including, for example, if there’s a list page with 50 contacts on it. Many marketers or service reps might have this common behaviour of opening 10 or 20 tabs and jumping between them. The AI can still read through all of them, summarize and compare all the information in them with just one prompt.

Copilot is also embedded directly into pages as a context menu so users don’t need to think about what to ask. They can just invoke it directly and receive a summary immediately about what they’re looking at without any extra typing, which makes it easier to use.

Breeze Intelligence helps provide a more complete view of customers by bringing in data from over 200 million company and buyer profiles. In beta now, this AI-powered solution assists service workers with building up contract records, discerning buyer intent and shortening otherwise long contact forms to avoid them being abandoned by users.

“Data is typically hard to get about your customers,” said Sellberg. “It can be scattered across the internet, different puzzle pieces, and when businesses can’t put that together, they’re not getting the full picture. Of course, businesses can get the data, but it’s hard work.”

With the data enrichment capability, Intelligence gets the hard work out of the way with one click by adding missing portions of customer profiles directly from HubSpot’s records including firmographic, demographic and technographic attributes that are continually refreshed.

Using the buyer intent capacity, marketers can set their target market, identify buyer intent signals and use that to add likely high-intent companies to their HubSpot customer relationship profiles. The AI helps marketers make these identifications using signals such as page views and other intent metrics.

Breeze Agents automate tasks like experts

All available in beta, Breeze includes four automated agents that will automate tasks to give marketing, sales and service teams AI experts capable of completing work rapidly with just a prompt and a few clicks.

The Breeze Content Agent provides marketers with high-quality content such as landing pages for the web, blogs and full case studies written from start to finish using a customer’s brand voice based on information from HubSpot’s context. It also has podcasting capability where it can write a full script, or even generate a fully AI generated voiced podcast using seven different voices.

The Social Media Agent allows users to create posts that fit into the company’s brand across different networks that use the company’s details, audience and industry. It can generate fitting posts, and prepare and schedule them for the proper times to garner the biggest impact.

The Prospecting Agent can help marketers engage leads by researching and preparing personalized outreach messages to contacts and helping craft the right messages.

The Customer Agent will take over customer-facing support based on an enterprise business service and product line. It can be trained in a few clicks based on a company’s knowledge base, website and blog content so that it can start helping very quickly. Of course, it can’t answer every single question, so when it runs into something too complex for it to handle, it can hand off to a human service worker with all the context of the original question asked by the customer and how it handled the initial contact.

Feature Image Credit: HubSpot

By Kyt Dotson

Sourced from siliconANGLE

 

By Sandy Carter

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, we’re witnessing a fascinating transformation in the world of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models.

GPT is a type of artificial intelligence model designed to understand and generate human-like text. Think of it as a very advanced autocomplete system.

Just as your phone might suggest the next word when you’re typing a message, a GPT model can predict and generate entire sentences or even long passages of text. It’s “pre-trained” on a vast amount of text from the internet, books, and other sources, which allows it to learn patterns in language.

The “generative” part means it can create new content, not just repeat what it has seen before. GPT models power many AI chatbots and writing assistants, helping them to engage in human-like conversations and produce coherent text on almost any topic. Most significantly of all, GPT has achieved the Holy Grail of AI: passing the Turing Test, where humans cannot tell that text has been produced ‘artificially’.

The advance of AI – both technologically and in terms of adoption – has been nothing short of phenomenal. According to OpenAI, there are more than 3M customer GPTs, and 77% of devices being used have some form of AI.

My provocative statement “GPT is dead. Long live GPTs!” encapsulates this evolution, highlighting not the demise of GPT architecture, but rather its evolution from text-only applications to even more capable and wondrous forms.

The Evolution of GPT

The early GPT models, with their singular focus on text, have given way to a new generation of more versatile and capable systems. While these text-centric models showcased remarkable abilities in natural language processing – generating human-like text, understanding context, and performing a wide array of language-related tasks with impressive accuracy – they were limited to a single modality.

So what’s dead? The notion that GPT models are confined to text alone. The GPT architecture, far from being obsolete, is very much alive and continuously evolving. As researchers and developers pushed the boundaries of what GPT could do, a transformation began to take shape. The latest iterations, exemplified by models like GPT-4, have broken free from the constraints of text-only processing. These advanced models have embraced multimodality, capable of understanding and processing both text and images.

For example, LegalGPT is multimodal GPT, allowing the processing of both text and image data. This feature enables the tool to handle tasks such as analysing legal documents, including scanned images of contracts or case files, while also providing detailed text-based insights. For example, LegalGPT can interpret complex legal documents and identify important clauses or issues, making it a versatile tool for legal professionals who often deal with both textual and visual information, such as scanned PDFs​.

This leap forward represents a fundamental shift in our relationship with technology. It is no longer merely a tool; it is now an extra pair of hands, with capabilities approaching and in some cases exceeding those of human employees.

Because GPT models do a good job on the “drudge-work” within so many professions, it enables humans to concentrate fully on what we do brilliantly. It opens up new horizons for AI applications, bridging the gap between different types of data and paving the way for more sophisticated, context-aware AI systems.

The death of text-only GPT has given birth to a new era of multimodal AI, where these models can interact with and understand the world in ways that more closely mimic human cognition.

The Rise of Multimodal AI

The evolution of GPT towards multimodality is part of a broader, exciting trend in the field of artificial intelligence. Multimodal AI systems, capable of processing and generating multiple types of data simultaneously, are revolutionizing how machines understand and interact with the world.

These systems can integrate information from various sources – text, images, audio, and even video – to form a more comprehensive understanding of their environment. This enhanced perception allows for more nuanced and accurate responses, mimicking the way humans process information from multiple senses.

For example, an interesting multimodal GPT in the music industry is AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist). AIVA uses both text and sound as input, allowing users to generate music based on specific styles or emotions described in text form. It can interpret these text prompts and output corresponding audio, making it useful for composers or producers looking for inspiration or quick drafts. AIVA has been used in creating background scores for films, commercials, and even video games, showcasing how multimodal AI can blend creative input across text and sound.

The implications of this shift are profound and far-reaching. In healthcare, multimodal AI that analyses medical images alongside patient histories is already being used to drastically improve the accuracy of diagnoses. One example of a healthcare-focused multimodal GPT is Med-Gemini, developed by Google. Med-Gemini builds on the Gemini family of models and is specifically fine-tuned for medical applications. It combines text, images, and even 3D scans to assist in clinical workflows such as generating radiology reports, answering clinical questions, and offering diagnostic support.

Med-Gemini has been benchmarked on tasks like visual question-answering for chest X-rays, report generation for 3D imaging, and genomic risk prediction. These multimodal capabilities are designed to improve clinical reasoning by integrating diverse data types, making it a powerful tool in radiology, pathology, and genomics.

In addition, there are so many more applications of multi-modal GPTs. Autonomous vehicles could make split-second decisions by integrating visual, auditory, and textual data. Creative industries might see an explosion of new forms of art and design, as AI assists in blending different media types. Perhaps most excitingly, multimodal AI has the potential to break down communication barriers, offering more natural and intuitive ways for humans to interact with machines. As these systems continue to develop, we stand on the brink of a new era in artificial intelligence – one where the lines between different types of data blur, and AI’s understanding of the world grows ever closer to our own.

The Importance of Multimodal AI

The shift to multimodal AI represents far more than just a technological advancement; it’s a paradigm shift with far-reaching implications across various fields and aspects of society. Remarkable as AI’s “autocomplete” capabilities are, you can’t solve all the world’s problems by text alone. By enhancing AI’s understanding of context and nuance, multimodal systems promise to revolutionize human-AI interaction, making it more natural and intuitive. This improved interaction opens doors to solving complex, real-world challenges that were previously out of reach for single-modality AI.

Moreover, this shift unlocks new realms of creativity and innovation, potentially transforming fields like art, design, and scientific research. The ability of multimodal AI to bridge different types of information also has profound implications for accessibility, allowing for more effective communication tools for people with disabilities.

Perhaps most excitingly, by integrating visual context with language processing, multimodal AI could break down language barriers, fostering improved cross-cultural understanding and communication on a global scale. Collectively, these advancements underscore how multimodal AI is not merely an evolution in technology, but a revolutionary force that could reshape how we interact with machines, process information, and ultimately understand our world.

Companies at the Forefront

Several tech giants and innovative startups are leading the charge in developing advanced GPT models and multimodal AI:

  1. OpenAI: Known for its GPT models, OpenAI has made significant strides with GPT-4, which can process both text and images.
  2. Google DeepMind: The company’s PaLM-E model integrates large language models with robotic control, showcasing the potential of multimodal AI in physical interactions.
  3. Anthropic and AWS: While less is publicly known about their specific efforts, Anthropic has been pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities and ethical AI development.

Innovative Startups

  1. Hugging Face: This startup has become a hub for open-source AI models, including many GPT-based and multimodal projects.
  2. Adept AI Labs: Founded by former OpenAI and Google researchers, Adept is working on AI models that can interact with software interfaces.
  3. Stability AI: Known for their work on Stable Diffusion (which, among its many uses, enables the creation of detailed images from text prompts), Stability AI is pushing the boundaries of generative AI across multiple modalities.

Measuring the Impact of GPT Evolution As GPT models evolve from text-only to multimodal capabilities, a crucial question emerges: How do we effectively evaluate these increasingly sophisticated AI systems? While expert benchmarks provide valuable technical insights, they may not fully capture the most important metric: end-user satisfaction.

Recognizing this gap, an open-source initiative led by Salman Paracha (an AWS alumni like me) and Katanemo‘s has launched a “human” benchmark study for Large Language Models (LLMs). This study aims to measure the quality corridor that matters most to end users when interacting with LLMs, including the latest multimodal GPT models.

The Katanemo benchmark seeks to answer critical questions:

  1. Is there a threshold beyond which improvements in LLM response quality no longer significantly impact user satisfaction?
  2. At what point does the performance of these models dip to levels that users find unacceptable?

By participating in a brief 30-second survey individuals can contribute valuable data to this community effort. The results of this study will help establish a standardized measure for LLM quality, empowering researchers, developers, and consumers to make more informed decisions about which models to use or further develop.

The Road Ahead

As we move from “GPT is dead” to “Long live GPTs,” we’re entering an era where these models are becoming more versatile, more capable, and more integrated into our daily lives. The evolution towards multimodality represents not just a technological advancement, but a paradigm shift in how we interact with AI.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. The development of more advanced GPT models and multimodal AI raises new ethical concerns and challenges, particularly in areas like deep fakes and privacy. It will be crucial for researchers, companies, and policymakers to work together to ensure that these powerful new tools are developed and deployed responsibly.

The future of GPTs is not about the death of an old technology, but the birth of new possibilities. As these models continue to evolve and incorporate multimodal capabilities, we can expect to see applications that were once the stuff of science fiction become reality, fundamentally changing how we interact with technology and the world around us.

Feature Image Credit: Getty Images

By Sandy Carter

Sourced from Forbes