Undoubtedly, AI is becoming increasingly relevant. On May 9, 2024, our Marketing Peer Group discussed cutting-edge advancements in Generative AI and uncovering their transformative effects on marketing strategies and practices. Marketing professionals gathered in a hybrid setting to connect with peers and collaborate on staying ahead of the curve by leveraging AI technologies.
The event opened with a Generative AI demonstration on Personal GPTs led by UWEBC Marketing Practice Director Tom Hershberger. Tom explained how to enhance effectiveness with ChatGPT through user profiles and Personalized GPTs. By tailoring AI to understand specific user needs, users can significantly improve their productivity and decision-making process. Tom led the group through the steps to provide AI with essential information about a user’s preferences, roles, and interaction styles.
After this demonstration, we heard from our first event speaker, Author Vince Warnock, who discussed using Generative AI in Marketing. Vince started his presentation by discussing how AI works and then transitioned into debunking some of the myths about AI. There were five main myths that he touched on:
- AI is plagiarism: It simply steals from others.
- Vince says that AI is learning like a human. It is learning from what it reads and sees and creating content.
- AI is 100% accurate: you can trust the output.
- It’s not true! AI is getting a lot more accurate. However, it is essential to double-check to make sure you are getting the correct information.
- AI all sounds the same: you can always tell.
- It all comes down to how you prompt and train AI. One way Vince has found to combat this issue is by telling AI to make the response sound more “natural.”
- AI will reveal my data: everyone will see what I ask for or upload to it.
- AI doesn’t simply reveal your data; you can’t go into AI and see what a person is asking or training it on. Vince suggests using localized or fine-tuned models if you want to be more secure.
- AI has diverse views: it represents all corners of society.
- False. In fact, AI has been proven many times that it has bias built in, specifically male bias. Vince says protection mechanisms are in place; however, being conscious of this bias is important so you can address it as needed.
After discussing five myths about Generative AI, Vince transitioned into its impact on marketing. He noted that AI can help with content creation and analysis because it can sometimes see what we can’t. He talked about how AI is an expert at your fingertips and can help with strategy. Vince also pointed out AI can do the tasks that we hate and is more efficient. Generative AI can work faster, better, and smarter. Vince ended his presentation by discussing where AI will go from here. He said that it will become more accurate, and there will be regulations. Vince noted, “The future is huge, the future is scary, but the future is also amazing.”
After Vince’s insightful presentation, the audience heard from Matt Boatright-Simon, the founder of SPEAK.STUDIO with a presentation on the future of voice and audio content in marketing. Matt opened by discussing how today is the worst Generative AI will ever be. Tomorrow, Generative AI will be better than today, and yet it will simultaneously be worse than it will be the next day. Matt thinks about the future of Generative AI by first thinking about the past.
Everyone’s initial interaction with the outside world was through sound, and this is one of the few things that binds everyone together throughout the course of history. Matt talked about the evolution of audio and voice AI through examples, including artists using it to create albums, companies using it for promotional purposes, and many others. With this, Matt noted how important it is to be aware of deepfakes, a form of artificial intelligence that can be used to create convincing hoax images, sounds, and videos. Matt then discussed that the future is now. He says that moving forward, there will have to be regulation, licensing, and certifications to combat issues like deepfakes. Matt said marketing will be more critical than ever because of unprecedented chaos and opportunity. Effective marketing will be key. HumAIne AI is only as good as the people modeling it, driving it, and giving it commands. He finished by saying one of the most important things when it comes to utilizing Generative AI is to bring value to the people you are marketing to and connect with them at a personal level.
Finally, we heard from Steve Moon, Manager of Special Projects at Colony Brands, with a UWEBC member spotlight presentation. Steve opened his presentation by discussing Generative AI and how his team currently works with it. Steve discussed some of the benefits of Generative AI, such as its ability to improve decision-making, innovation, creativity, personalization, and efficiency. He explained to the audience some of the Generative AI uses Colony Brands incorporates, such as design, customer service, R&D, data analysis, and more. To help manage AI in their company, Colony Brands created an AI Responsibility Committee with a team comprised of IT, security, legal, compliance, and privacy. This committee sets the guidelines and procedures and reviews and approves Generative AI projects. Steve talked about how his company uses Generative AI as an expert assistant that can help them create new things by learning from examples. “It’s like having an artist and a writer all in one, which can help people come up with amazing new ideas and make things faster and better.”
This event provided attendees with information about the transformative effects of Generative AI on marketing strategies and practices. Vince Warnock and Matt Boatright-Simon provided insights on leveraging AI technologies, while UWEBC member company Colony Brands showcased their innovative marketing initiatives using Generative AI. Attendees also engaged in valuable networking sessions to discuss best practices and share experiences. Thank you to all those who presented at and attended this event! If you missed it, members can view the event on UWEBC+!