As a rising star that rocketed to almost overnight adoption, AI found itself at the center of a tech and cultural revolution with the public launch of ChatGPT. For a good part of 2023, we couldn't turn on our devices without seeing posts, articles, and opinion pieces about this hot tech trend that was predicted to change life as we know it.
People began using generative AI for countless applications in varied arenas: from writing poetry to producing works of art in the style of Picasso to building trial arguments. While that last one didn’t work so well, we could still see the potential for AI across contexts. The hype buzzing around this technology seemed unprecedented.
Meet the “not so new” shiny new toy.
Generative AI’s adoption curve has far surpassed other recent technologies like smartphones and tablets since ChatGPT debuted in 2022, prompting over a million people to sign up to use it within five days. Insider Intelligence forecasts that more than half of those in the 12- to 44-year age range in the United States will be monthly generative AI users by 2025. And a McKinsey survey shows that three-quarters of the respondents expect generative AI “to cause significant or disruptive change in the nature of their industry’s competition in the next three years.”
But here’s the truth: AI isn’t brand new, and we’ve used it before. Many of us likely just haven’t realized it. And perhaps that’s the best type of AI application – useful and so seamless you may not even question its presence.
Some examples of AI applications you may already be using include generative text that lets you write emails faster and populates search boxes with predictive queries. Then there are the ubiquitous smart assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Hey Google, along with customer service chatbots that deliver high-quality customer care at a fraction of the cost for companies.
It’s not just about doing things. It’s about changing things
As the generative AI hype comes to a simmer, there’s a valid question lingering in our minds: what real potential remains and how can we successfully incorporate AI tools into business processes to create meaningful change that brings value and not just novelty?
“There’s a perception that we’re talking about AI as this true intelligence that’s going to do everything for us and it’s not going to be touched, but every time we’re typing in Word and it offers to finish our sentence for us, that’s using AI,” says Jonathan Prantner, Chief Analytics Officer at OneMagnify.
At first, organizations felt the need to “do something” with generative AI so as not to miss out on the wave. “On any project, everyone was saying ‘oh, can we put ChatGPT on top of this?’” Prantner continues. “Now, we’re getting to the point where people are saying ‘what value am I actually seeing? Sure, I’m trying things out, but how are we actually changing our decision-making?’”
So where does generative AI bring the most value? According to Insider Intelligence, 83% of executives worldwide think its relevance is found in chatbots like ChatGPT. But usage is trending away from mass generation of content and swinging toward brainstorming, ideation, and process improvements.
Try AI where it doesn’t feel scary.
Marketing automation tools are likely already in your MarTech stack, making them a productive (and useful) place to start. Many marketing automation tools are integrating AI directly into their interfaces, giving you a familiar playground to explore.
Here are some places where you can explore the technology:
- CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot have products dedicated to integrating AI with CRM and marketing workflows.
- Google, Instagram, and TikTok have built-in budget and reach optimization tools for your ad campaigns.
- Google Ads uses AI to set bids and optimize ad performance.
You can also use AI-integrated creative tools like Canva Magic Studio and Adobe Firefly or Sensei to get the juices flowing while developing efficient in-house production capacity without the overhead.
Ready to try something new?
Take AI for a spin to see what added value you can find with its generative power while keeping the stakes low. You can start with prompts for “out-of-office” message generators. Using ChatGPT or Google Bard, create a new out-of-office email and play with different tones of voice or different styles, like limerick or haiku.
Another opportunity to push the technology further is using AI to solve problems in a new way. Find a pain point in a process you perform regularly. Perhaps it’s creating social posts, data analysis, or a tedious manual process. Perform a web search for “AI tools for [your pain point]” and discover ways to solve your problem from a new perspective.
There are three impact levels of company AI adoption: increasing personal productivity, creating process optimization, and transforming the organization. While starting at a personal level is essential for building confidence with the technology, the ultimate value-add comes from integrating AI into broader organizational strategies and initiatives. As you gain experience through personal AI use, take the next step by applying learnings to your department’s workflows and then to the organization.
The goal of AI, as Prantner said, is to add value and change how we make decisions. The beauty of AI is the ability for every business to create more quality output with less effort.
Not sure where to start, or need some guidance along your generative AI journey? Reach our experts at ai@onemagnify.com to learn how OneMagnify can support you.
