There’s no arguing that we are on the cusp of one of the most significant discoveries in human history. But in the midst of this hype hurricane, it’s difficult to remember that AI like the discovery of fire, the wheel and electricity will not change hundreds of thousands of years of human behavioral evolution overnight. It’s lazy to say AI is ‘the solution’ when history demonstrates it is ‘part of the solution(s)’. With regards to b2b marketing & sales, the creation of thousands or millions of clever AI ‘citizen solutions’ does not equate to market need, demand, or revenue. The four fundamental consumer truths will not change anytime soon. People like to buy things that:
- look nice.
- taste good.
- work well.
- cost less.
Commercial success rests in finding the right balance of ‘human’(IP, creativity, context, etc) and AI. May I offer some well-intended advice (h/t: Howard Gossage) to all the wonderful, crazy smart AI widget creators whom haven’t yet sold anything in their careers. People don’t pay attention to and engage with products, marketers and salespeople. They like to engage and talk with people that interest them. Sometimes that’s a marketer or salesperson. That’s the fine line we must walk.
J. Robert Slaughter 