Since the first half of the 20th century, science fiction has familiarized us with the concept of artificially intelligent robots, from the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz to Star Wars’ C-3PO. By the 1950’s we had a generation of scientists and mathematicians absorbed with the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The first artificial intelligence program, Logic Theorist, was concepted by Allen Newell, Cliff Shaw, and Herbert Simon. The Logic Theorist was a program designed to mimic the problem-solving skills of a human and was funded by Research and Development (RAND) Corporation. It was first presented at the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (DSRPAI) hosted by John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky in 1956. Presently, AI is growing at an incredible pace and its impact on business is ever-changing.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Types
There are four types of AI, some more sophisticated than others and some forms that aren’t scientifically possible, yet.
- Reactive AI – The most basic type, Reactive AI is programmed to provide a predictable output based on the input it receives. Reactive machines, like email spam filters and streaming recommendation engines, always respond to identical situations in the exact same way every time, and they are not able to learn actions. Reactive AI was an enormous step forward in the history of artificial intelligence development.
- Limited Memory AI – Limited memory AI utilizes historical, observational data in combination with pre-programmed information and builds experiential knowledge. Self-driving cars, an example of Limited Memory AI, uses the data collected in the recent past to make immediate decisions, sensors to identify pedestrians, steep roads, traffic signals, all to make better driving decisions.
- Theory of Mind AI – An emotionally intelligent robot that looks and sounds like a human being is what’s on the horizon with theory of mind AI. The challenge in acARtihieving this type is the difficulty in mimicking the process of shifting behavior based on emotions which is so fluid in human communication.
- Self-aware AI – The most advanced type of artificial intelligence is self-aware AI. When machines can be aware of their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others around them, they will have a level of consciousness and intelligence like human beings. This type of sophisticated AI has not been developed yet because there is no hardware or algorithms to support it.
Marketing Benefits of AI
Naturally AI technology is changing how businesses reach and engage their customers. Gaining a better understanding of customer behavior is one of the core benefits of AI in marketing. Given an essential advantage, marketing professionals can use this rapidly evolving technology to analyze more data, more accurately. AI, as well as machine learning (ML), can also identify existing behavioral patterns and predict future behavior. A recent Entrepeneur.com article addresses how marketers are using AI today.
- Automation of repetitive tasks.
- Analysis of large quantities of data.
- Personalization of campaigns.
- Predicting conversion rates.
- Optimizing the timing of email marketing.
- Generating content.
Challenges of AI
While AI provides an advantage to marketers, there are two main concerns that relate to customers and marketers themselves – data protection and job security in the industry.
- Data Protection – Because AI relies on access to large quantities of customer data to recognize patterns and predict potential behavior, marketers need to ensure their data collection and usage practices are not only ethical, but they must also comply with current privacy and data protection legislation.
- Job Security – New systems from Google and Microsoft — plus a Microsoft partner called OpenAI — can do things we used to think were uniquely human, like creating original art and generating original writing. However, automation doesn’t necessarily mean elimination. Professionals will be able to carve out a more strategic place for themselves. While AI can play a huge role in reducing the volume of routine tasks, more time can be spent on projects that will move the needle within their organization.
The Future
While AI can help marketing teams build the right messages for the right audiences at the right time, computers and technology lack the emotional intelligence and creativity humans inherently have. Only marketers can create and deliver personalized, one-to-one messaging that properly aligns with their organization’s brand and connects with their customers. Despite the challenges of AI, there are advantages and it’s quickly becoming part of the future. As more research is done on AI, the mystery surrounding it is likely to dissolve.