AI: fact or fiction?
With everything from toothbrushes to washing machines getting an AI make-over, it’s true to say that artificial intelligence runs the risk of becoming the latest in a long line of Next Big Things – just like Big Data and Web 2.0. Even the phrase AI covers a wide range of capabilities, ranging from simple hard coded rule sets through to the most cutting-edge developments in deep learning. But the benefits are real, and it’s in machine learning and deep learning where the interesting stuff happens – systems that can learn from data without being explicitly programmed.
Deep learning explained
In the webinar, we used an example from self-driving cars as an analogy for how deep learning works: showing how large input volumes and multiple layers of ‘neurons’ are used to process visual inputs, teaching the network the difference between a car and, say, a kitten.
The use of machine learning in marketing
AI really is applicable everywhere in the marketing cycle – wherever you have rich data and a set of useful outcomes to model. We shared some real-life examples of how machine learning and deep learning can transform what you do – without you needing to become an expert in AI. Our PPC bid management platform, Decision, continually tests and adjusts bid prices and drives huge uplifts in ROI – like having an always-on PPC agency working around the clock.
And our modelling software, Archetype, uses neural networks to generate really predictive models that can be controlled and understood, so they avoid bias and unwanted behaviours. And our Attribution service is the most accurate and unbiased on the market, using random forests to understand the true value of every customer interaction.
How to get started with AI
Well the good news is you don’t need to become an expert: help is at hand. Our advice is to get your data in good shape first, and to start with a thorny problem that you’d like AI to solve – not pursuing AI for its own sake. Our tools and expertise can help you here, and we’d be delighted to discuss how to help you get started.
Wrapping it up
So, it’s true that AI can transform what you do in marketing. It’s not magic: it needs data to learn from to be effective. But there are transformative things that AI can do really well, and they are available right now.
If you'd like to learn more about how AI could help you solve some of your marketing and operational challenges, please drop an email to [email protected] to arrange a virtual consultation with our AI specialists.
