More than two centuries ago, the Industrial Revolution began. Considering all the benefits it brought to humanity through the use of new technologies, it also generated many concerns at the time, mainly for the workforce as these advancements put their stability and survival at risk.
Recently, there has been a similar revolution thanks to the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This year 2023 has brought about a boom in this tool and its exponential growth, benefiting society as a whole but also generating concern in various market sectors. Anyone who does not understand the concept of AI or fails to implement it in their activities is destined to lag behind their competition.
In this blog post, we will mention some current benefits of AI implementation in Marketing and why companies need to make proper use of this technology. Going back to the topic of the Industrial Revolution, let’s give an example: The invention of the steam engine; this technology began to be used in trains, textile production, windmills for grinding grain or extracting water from wells – among many other industries.
The workforce was significantly reduced as these machines streamlined processes without requiring human labor – something identical to what is happening today. How did society reinvent itself almost two centuries ago? Let’s continue with the example of steam engines and talk about their use in transportation.
With the appearance of locomotives or steam-powered ships, trade became faster and expanded worldwide. It was no longer necessary to spend entire days traveling from one place to another; these journeys took only a fraction of that time using these means instead of traditional methods.
The similarities with what is happening now in 2023 with free-to-use programs like ChatGPT are evident: A graphic designer could take several days to create artwork for a product launch campaign; with artificial intelligence usage, this can now take just seconds. Most importantly: In most cases, it surpasses many skilled designers’ quality.
Two decades ago, photography required technical knowledge of cameras, composition skills, lighting management, and overall proficiency in adjusting the three basic parameters: light sensitivity, exposure, and focal length.
Thanks to the development of cell phones with integrated cameras, anyone had the option to take acceptable quality photos at hand. Today’s market offers equipment that can seriously compete with professional cameras and achieve good results without much expertise.
What has become of many professional photographers who were once in high demand for social events? They have often been replaced by individuals who can capture those moments with just a cell phone and little photography knowledge.
Let’s go back to the example of the railway industry and see the advantages of its expansion. As it gradually occurred in the labor market, there was a need for manpower to produce steel, install tracks, mechanics responsible for maintenance and repair of these machines, operators, and station vendors – among others. Society reinvented itself and has grown exponentially since then.
Will graphic designers, content creators, proofreaders/editors videographers photographers, etc., disappear? Will there still be a need to hire marketing professionals now that AI applications are available for almost anything?
It is difficult to predict but if we guide ourselves by the experience of the industrial revolution we will have to rethink life as we imagine it. Those who adapt most quickly, evolve, innovate, and grow alongside artificial intelligence will succeed.
One thing is quite clear: Human intelligence -for now- cannot be surpassed.