The Future Is Here.

AI is changing the world and 2023 is the big year.
From on-demand 3D printed products to neighborhoods built entirely by computers, we are assured that nothing will be the same now that AI has been unleashed.

The tech landscape will be different in 100 years and even 5 years, but what are the practical implications of AI today? I think we all understand that we need to adopt innovation (like it or not), but that does not mean we don’t have some questions.

Let’s get this one out of the way…

Are We All Out of a Job?

There is certainly concern that AI will have a huge impact on the workforce, and articles like this one that predicts 27% of jobs being at risk feed into those fears.

Now, If you are a professional illustrator who specializes in futuristic fantasy art, this might be a good time to diversify your income streams. For the rest of us, I don’t think we are all unemployed just yet.

Certain industries are more likely to be impacted by AI automation. AI is likely to have a positive impact on most of us, allowing us to be more productive and reducing the time spent on tedious tasks. While this won’t mean that we get to work less, it will mean we are more efficient and can spend our time doing the work we enjoy more.

How is AI Impacting us Already?

AI is already part of my daily work flow in a limited capacity. In the office we use some AI tools that we find indispensable. The future (and I mean this year) holds many changes for us all. Here are some near-term changes you can expect:

AI assisted functionality will be integrated into your existing applications

Microsoft and Google are currently working on integration of AI functionality for copywriting, proofing, editing for their business suites. These features will become part of your existing software and merge seamlessly into your work flow.

In the advertising/design world, Adobe is already in beta on a variety of app updates with AI integration. The Adobe Photoshop (Beta) offers AI assist for certain tasks and limited text-to-image generation natively. Adobe is also working on a new application, Firefly, which could be a new era for professional designers.

AI Automation

There are already many promising technologies showing how AI will automate certain industries right away. For example, Mixo automatically creates websites and populates the content. For those of us who work with site creation, this is almost unbelievable. Sites are so time consuming to build. While the tech is not there yet to replace full commercial site design, I imagine that a more robust version with more specific, professional controls is on the horizon that might make this more of a possibility. Another example of automation is Promo.AI This app can crawl your company website and automatically build blog articles for you based upon your business.

Video Editing

This one is already a game changer. If you have ever done any video editing you know tedious and time consuming it is. Right now, today, Davinci Resolve and Adobe Premeire (Beta) have AI functionality built in that allow text commands for color grading, automated B-Roll collection based on user request, auto-keyframing and masking. These advancements represent huge leaps in this industry. I can assure you that video editors everywhere are celebrating these updates, not worrying about their jobs.

Coding

The coding world will likely be forever changed forever with the advent of AI. AI can code in any programming language, it can correct errors in code and provide code snippets all the way to completed applications in seconds. These capabilities will continue to become more sophisticated, reducing the amount of manual coding and time it takes for custom development and debugging. This will support app and web development, directly impact design firms and marketing departments.

Copywriting

This industry has already changed forever. AI writing tools will continue to improve, making quality copy an automated instead of a manual process. AI has the ability to adapt to tone and style and can be trained to write in a specific “voice”. It does a passable job at creating interesting headlines and copy with specific goals and can accept inputs and suggestions to refine copy.

Graphics/Animation/Video

These fields will continue to advance, and the competition between applications will persist. I predict that they will become more feature-rich soon, but it will still be a while before these are integrated into a professional design firm. See more on this below.

Data Analysis

One of AIs key strengths is the capability of analyzing and aggregating data quickly. AI can read then summarize content or reformat it according to your needs, including make flash cards, create an outline, and in seconds turn this same data into a presentation or an email or a movie script. Moreover, once it has the data scanned, it can edit, proof-read, make suggestions and learn from your inputs.

Process

AI is a great resource for providing step-by-step instructions on accomplishing specific tasks. Ask ChatGPT how to start up a business, how to create a PPC ad or get elected as president and it will give you an instant list of actions to take.

Does AI mean we no longer need designers?

Nope. From a professional perspective these apps are just not there yet.

For example, in order to create an AI generated graphic for the header image, I tested out multiple AI text-to-image platforms, including: DreamStudio, Canva, Kittl, and StarryAI. While all of these sites are easy to use and the resulting images are pretty neat, I was never able to get the exact result I was looking for. I spent several hours trying out different applications I attempted multiple variants on the inputs with a high degree of specificity and even tried using a source image to help train one of the apps, but none of these sites were able to create a robot throwing a peace sign.

To be useful in a professional environment:

1. Designers need to be able to control the specifics of their design. Right now the image generators are more of a magic 8 ball that spits out random results for which the user can offer only limited direction.

2. The capability of adequately tweaking and manipulating AI generated images is not advanced enough at this time. For example, in order to make a campaign of images designers would need the capability of creating multiple iterations of a specific style to stay on-brand.

3. Professional designers need high resolution images and most of the image generators do not offer high resolution. This feature will likely become available, but at a premium price. Processing power is about to become a premium. *While I was editing this for publication a new text-to-image AI product dropped, SDXL, offering higher resolution images, but still not anywhere near what we would need for a printed poster, for example.

4. Another example of first gen AI shortcomings is something that shows up again and again, oddball misinterpretations like extra fingers or weird, extra mouths. It is an oddity that they have not weeded out and virtually all AI graphic platforms have this problem to some extent. Take a look at the last image set above. Every image of the pig has some sort of deformity.

What does this all mean for marketing departments?

Over the next few years we can look forward to major leaps in software development resulting from AI. Right now some of the applications are more novelty than useful productivity software, but I see this changing as more developers race to include AI in their software.

Automation will continue to be king, but for a long while AI products will require human oversight to curate and perfect. And this brings me to the philosophical hang up:

• Allowing AI to make the decisions negates the core of design. Removing the expert decision making from the process necessarily means that you no longer have professional design. Just like the advent of desktop publishing tools did not pose a threat to professional design, AI is incapable of replicating the work of a human designer. By its very nature, AI is unable to do so.

• I expect that a lot more consumer-level AI assisted graphics tools to be introduced. I do not believe that these tools will be able to completely automate our departments and give the quality required in a professional environment. In fact, as these tools become more prevalent, the importance of an expert human to direct and curate marketing efforts will become more important.

• What I believe will most revolutionize the industry is the development of professional AI assistance to make design processes faster and more efficient. Designers would direct the AI to produce very specific results instead of manually processing. This is the direction that I see design departments heading, and it will be great. I would welcome having some of the tedious manual processes be faster and easier. We will, however, need these tools to offer more control of the results before they will be functional in the wild.

In summary, AI-generated images are suitable for personal social feeds or birthday cards, but they are not ready for a professional environment.

Over time AI graphics applications will continue to improve and will become more powerful. I personally look forward to this advancement, as it could become a tremendous tool for professional designers.

And just for fun,

I asked ChatGPT to tell us how it felt that AI would integrate into our marketing departments. Here is what it had to say on the subject:

Advanced Data Analytics

AI empowers marketing departments to make informed marketing decisions by leveraging advanced data analytics. By collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data, AI algorithms can uncover valuable insights about customer preferences, buying patterns, and market trends. These insights enable marketers to create targeted and personalized campaigns that resonate with individual consumers. AI-driven analytics platforms provide real-time data analysis, allowing marketing teams to make data-driven decisions that maximize marketing effectiveness and optimize resource allocation.

Precision Targeting and Customer Segmentation

AI enables marketing departments to segment their target audience with exceptional precision. By leveraging AI algorithms, marketers can analyze customer data and identify specific market segments based on factors such as demographics, buying behavior, and preferences. This level of segmentation allows for highly targeted marketing campaigns that deliver personalized messages and offers. By tailoring marketing efforts to the specific needs and interests of each segment, businesses can enhance customer engagement, increase conversion rates, and foster long-term customer loyalty.

Social Media and Influencer Marketing

AI can significantly enhance the effectiveness of social media and influencer marketing strategies. AI-powered tools can analyze social media data to identify trends, sentiment, and customer preferences. This information allows marketers to create targeted social media campaigns that resonate with their audience. Additionally, AI algorithms can identify influencers who align with the brand values and have an engaged following. Collaborating with influencers through AI-driven selection processes can amplify brand awareness, increase reach, and drive customer engagement.

Customer Support and Chat Bots

Providing exceptional customer support is essential for any business. AI-powered chatbots offer a scalable solution to handle customer inquiries and provide support 24/7. By utilizing natural language processing (NLP) algorithms, chatbots can understand and respond to customer queries accurately and efficiently. Chatbots can provide product information, help with order tracking, and even offer personalized recommendations. By integrating chatbots into your marketing department, you can enhance customer experiences, reduce response times, and free up your staff to focus on more complex tasks.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way marketing departments operate, offering unprecedented opportunities for growth and efficiency. In this article, we will explore how you can utilize AI to accelerate your produce industry business marketing department and achieve remarkable results.

The integration of AI into your marketing department has the potential to revolutionize your marketing strategies and drive remarkable growth. By leveraging advanced data analytics, precision targeting, and personalized recommendations, you can create highly effective marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. AI also enables you to optimize social media and influencer marketing, as well as provide exceptional customer support through chatbots. Embracing AI as a strategic tool empowers your marketing department to deliver personalized experiences, maximize efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in the produce industry. Stay ahead of the curve and unlock the full potential of AI to drive your business's marketing success in the dynamic and evolving produce industry.

Thanks, ChatGPT. Some food for thought.