A.I.n’t There Yet
We hear all the time from clients who are curious about AI. They want to know if we use it, if they could use it, what it can be used for, how to use it, where they can get their hands on it, and pretty much everything else.
We understand. For a generation of advertisers who have already gone through several technological revolutions that have dramatically changed the way companies go to market, AI seems like the shiniest new toy on the shelf. It’s a game-changer like the Internet or the smartphone, and nobody wants to be late to the game.
But the problem is that AI is not the self-aware robot that we imagine from all of the movies we’ve seen. You know, the one that can do everything better than humans but can’t understand emotions? That’s not the AI we’re talking about today.
Of course, today’s AI is indeed terrible at emotion, and that is partly why it’s not all that useful to us as marketers, but it’s not the only reason. Nor is it the main reason.
The Problem With Machines
Today’s “artificial intelligences” are networked systems that apply machine learning to quickly find solutions to an endless variety of problems. This rapid adaptability allows these AIs to appear almost human in their responses, which are processed in real time, producing the illusion of intelligence.
But make no mistake, they are not smart. What they “know” is simply what they are given access to, and their solutions amalgamate those “memories.” They cannot form opinions, they can only follow data. Some are more sophisticated than others, but none of them can analyze your business and determine and execute your unique marketing needs.
But the biggest problem with AI is that it’s dangerous.
That’s How You Get Skynet
No, not dangerous as in taking over the world and enslaving all mankind (although time will tell…) but rather simply too dangerous for businesses to risk relying upon.
After all, most enterprises are risk-averse for good reason. They have a lot riding on their marketing budgets, and really need to make sure they only move their business forward.
Unfortunately, machines don’t care about being right. And they don’t care if they set you up with a legal liability. They don’t care about your brand. And your brand deserves better.
The Value of Machines
This is not to say that AI has been over-hyped. It truly is a game-changer because of what it offers: speed.
AI “thinks” fast. It’s able to generate solutions quickly, if not reliably, and that can be extremely valuable. For example, Photoshop, the world’s most widely used graphics program incorporates AI to quickly fill in areas by making reasoned guesses as to what the filled area should look like based on the rest of the image. When it guesses right, this can save lots of time, but sometimes it guesses wrong, and you’re back to square one.
And this is how we see AI being implemented. At least for the near future. Making software more powerful and intuitive. Making smartphones smarter. Aiding marketing automation. Game-changing stuff like that.
In the meantime, they will keep working to make AI more powerful and capable, and we’ll keep waiting for the robots to arrive.
