If Google Trends is any indication, interest in artificial intelligence (AI) has increased steadily every year since 2012. That is great news for its developers and the businesses that benefit from its use, but unfortunately, many people just hear the hype about it and don’t understand its substance. When it comes to AI, it’s common to see the following types of exaggerated headlines:

  • AI Will End Humanity as We Know It
  • After Beating a Human at a Board Game, AI Poised to Take Over the World
  • AI Can Solve Every Business Problem in Existence

While there’s no doubt that AI can and does transform the personal and working lives of millions, it’s important to maintain realistic expectations about it. It absolutely will disrupt marketing as well as many other industries. Because of AI, future generations will live in a world that seems like science fiction compared to the technology we have today.

With its unprecedented growth rate, AI receives a lot of attention both online and offline. Since much of it amounts to little more than hype, it’s up to you to sort out what is true about using AI and what is an exaggerated claim. This can be challenging to do when you’re new to the world of AI.

The biggest concern that people seem to have related to using AI is that it will put them out of a job. This can lead them to become anxious and believe many false assumptions about AI. Before you believe any AI hype, positive or negative, take the time to conduct your own research. Here are three things to watch out for as you do:

using a1Not everyone uses the term artificial intelligence correctly. It includes many technologies, such as deep learning, machine learning, and neural networks. The term AI is a broad one that people can interpret in numerous ways. Although some news writers and people in business refer to these concepts with the blanket term of AI, they don’t mean the same thing. Instead, they describe unique and specific technologies that have some relation to one another. Until people understand this concept, they will continue to have many misconceptions. Using AI consists of tools with the capability to complete certain tasks instead of a single technology that can complete nearly everything.

Use logic to evaluate scare tactics about AI. Sensational news sells, which is why many news writers resort to developing headlines screaming that AI will soon replace humans on the job. While job loss is possible in certain industries, it’s more important to understand how AI impacts the transformation of your job and acquire the information you need to cope with the massive changes. For example, you can expect AI to automate many sales and marketing tasks. Your job may very well be in jeopardy if you don’t evolve. The exciting news is that AI will create new career paths as well as enhance the work people do on the job right now.

Professionals who work with AI will become more concerned with productivity and individual performance. As companies continue to invest in AI technology, it will free up marketing teams to work on tasks of greater importance that bring in more revenue for the company. Those who embrace rather than fear AI will find that their role in business continually evolves. It will also help to form a stronger spirit of cooperation between marketing and sales. When you overlook the hype about AI and understand it in context, it makes an excellent on-the-job tool.

using ai

Some business owners only think they’re using AI. It can be easy to feel confused with such a new technology. People sometimes assume they’re using AI when they’re only trying to make sense of one of its tools. Additionally, it’s common for businesses to include AI in their marketing campaigns whether they use it or not. Just the idea that a company is using the latest technology is attractive to many customers.

Part of the problem lies in the way that some company leaders describe automated tasks completed by their employees. Although these leaders offer useful tools and reference legitimate case studies, they could be just buying into the AI hype for marketing purposes. This can create a problem for marketers who want to test a solution before making a financial commitment to it. You might experience the frustration of buying an AI tool only to discover the features you counted on are still in the planning stages. You could even buy a research tool thinking it uses AI when it really doesn’t.

Before you agree to buying an AI solution for your business, ask a lot of questions and complete your own unbiased research. Please reach out to Call Sumo with additional questions about AI. We love what it can do for our customers and would be happy to help you understand it better.