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Generative AI Is Recoding The Marketing Industry… And It’s Coming For You Too

My perspectives on the near-future of Generative AI is less optimistic than others.

First: AI, including the Generative AI tools that we see right now, are extremely impressive.
To say otherwise, is a natural human reaction to the fact that when we see technology that can do tasks comparable (and often more effectively) than us humans, it’s a natural impulse to be protective.

We want to protect our knowledge.
We want to protect our experience.
We want to protect all these skills that we have acquired.

With that, we are finding out (through the quick evolution of Generative AI) that this “digital species” (as Mustafa Suleyman defines it) is currently able to be inspired by a mass spectrum of sources and influences (think the entire Web, including all video and audio as well).

I would argue that in the near-future, the results from Generative AI will force us humans to re-define and push the boundaries of who we assumed we are.

And that’s a very uncomfortable place to be (for me and you).
When we talk about the ability for businesses to be more predictive than ever before, these current slate of Generative AI tools are more than just impressive.
They’re actually excellent predictive engines already.

As a reminder: It’s all about the inputs.

Very good inputs already get pretty great outputs.

Second: When it comes to the marketing industry (in fact, almost any knowledge-first business), many of the current tools (text, images, audio and soon soon video) have been impressive enough that the need to hire entry level and junior practitioners (and even some mid-level employees or specific freelancers) can be done without many of the issues business face from finding the right people, training them and getting ideal results.
Often the outputs are more interesting than someone who is attacking the same challenge with little to minor experience.
With that, if there is a slow down in new/young hires what does the near-long term look like?

That’s what I am most concerned about.

This isn’t a short or mid-term strategy.
It’s a serious long term approach with a focus on sustainability.

Newsflash: Whether you’re working creative, strategic planning, media buying, and more these tools are coming hard, fast and aggressively for that work.

Said another way…

If your job – day in and day – is quite repetitive (meaning different clients, but the same types of tasks you’ve done for previous clients)… this is the type of work that AI eats for breakfast.

Third: I’m not as worried about consumer data as others are.

I’m more interested in synthetic data.
The ability to use algorithms to generate information that is artificially created rather than produced by real-world events seems like the next now.
To generate new kinds of data – well beyond personas that can include all kinds of buying patterns and models.
Ultimately, admitting to the clients that we’re not using any of their customer’s data but have a greater understanding of human buying behavior that can replace our need to leverage the personal stuff.
That takes the liability away, doesn’t it?
I’m not even able to bake my own noodle into where this could go in an effective and real way.

But there’s much more…

This, and other current topics were discussed along with Matt McDermott (Humble & Wallop), Samuel Monnie (Sustainable Brands) and host Bob Knorpp (always a good human) on the very excellent BeanCast Podcast (which I’ve been fortunate to be a guest on in the past). I don’t know what it is about BeanCast, Bob Knorpp and these other panelists, but there is always “something in the water” when we record these conversations that brings out a lot of stimulating ideas and insights (and some friendly disagreements too!).

Are you ready for this deep dive into the world of media and marketing? Here is: BeanCast #744 – Three Bald Men.

For about an hour, we discussed and debated the following topics:

Take a listen and jump into the fray…

Mitch Joel · BeanCast #744 – Three Bald Men

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Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.