As I think about the parallels between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technologies that have had an impact on their marketplaces, I often come back to the analogy of hybrid and electric cars. People who buy those cars may have a basic understanding of how the technologies work, but most tend to focus on the benefits that come with an investment in the technology, notably spending less on gas while also helping to save the environment.
For today’s consumers, it’s not necessarily the technology itself that’s most important but rather the impact that the technology has on the lives of their users. That’s why it’s frustrating for me to see companies that tout AI in the marketing of their products and services, as opposed to the experience that AI offers.
As AI continues to make a name for itself, especially in the ecommerce and retail industries, it’s important to look at how consumers view its rise. A2016 study by Hubspot Research, for example, found that nearly 90 percent of consumers around the globe are either interested in AI tools or are willing to try them. What’s especially interesting is 63 percent of the study’s respondents had already been exposed to AI without even knowing it.
It’s no wonder than companies are quick to pitch their AI capabilities at trade shows and in their marketing materials and sales pitches. But are they being completely honest about the AI in their products? After all, there are variants of AI — such as machine learning and deep learning — that provide varying results and experiences. And that may lead to blurred lines of what really qualifies as Artificial Intelligence.
But rather than question how companies are pitching their AI capabilities, I’d rather outline and address some of the core questions and concerns about what to look for in AI products and services popping up across the consumer marketplace.
As I noted above, not all forms of AI are the same. A machine-learning system such asIBM’s Watson, for example, utilizes the information it has available to answer questions and make decisions, based on probabilities and such. But it doesn’t have the capabilities to remember and apply an understanding of what may have happened in the past.
This is fine if Watson goes against humans in a Jeopardy showdown. However, it takes a deep-learning type of AI to perform the tasks that will likely resonate the most with consumers. This type of AI stores what it has learned in the past, takes note of how variables and results have changed under different scenarios and then makes decisions based on that.
