As AI continues to reach into all aspects of digital media & marketing, it requires a map. As that map is still being written, some folks understand the technology and its potential more than others. Yext CDO Christian Ward is one of them, and he gave us his latest mind-meld on stage at Place ’23

Key Takeaways

• As AI gradually takes over top consumer touchpoints like search, we’re moving from monologues to dialogues.
• Most media and advertising to date are monologues. Dialogues involve finding answers to our questions through intelligent exchanges that build on themselves (like real human dialogue).
• Another way to look at this is that search has always given us the who what where and when. AI now adds depth and dimension with the how and the why.
• For example, search queries that start with “how” and “why” are growing in share, says Ward, as consumers are being conditioned to expect deeper and more meaningful results and dialogues.
• This alters a decades-long behavior in which we’ve been conditioned to speak in keywords (at least in how we “speak” to Google).
• This is where large language models come into the picture. Chatbots were previously dysfunctional but that all changes now with the rise of technologies like GPT-4.
• And it could have wide-reaching cultural impact, such as empowering individuals who decide to lean into it.
• To that end, computer-savvy humans have always held advantages. Now human-savvy computers will do the heavy lifting, thus leveling the playing field for several functional roles in society.
• So what does this mean for companies that likewise want to lean into AI and use it to their advantage? For one, they need to apply lean data approaches rather than the common compulsion to feed AI all the data that’s possible.

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How Generative AI is Revolutionizing the Digital Landscape

Generative AI is revolutionizing the digital landscape. This new frontier is moving us from traditional keyword-based monologues to trust-centric dialogues, creating a paradigm shift in how brands engage with consumers. By harnessing the power of AI-driven dialogues, marketers can usher in a more personalized and transparent era, where consumers are engaged, understood, and valued.

Speakers