AI Might Be Costing You Sales, Google's Latest Move, and Alien Artificial SuperIntelligence

AI

AI Isn’t the Selling Point Marketers Seem to Think it is

Study Shows Consumers Don’t Trust AI Products: Within the last year or so, AI has become the buzzword to end all buzzwords. But a recent study demonstrated that for consumers, the buzz is sounding more and more like the annoying fly you can’t get out of your house. Published in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, the research found that mentioning "artificial intelligence" in product descriptions can actually deter potential buyers, as products described as AI-powered consistently lowered emotional trust. For high-risk items like electronics and medical devices, this effect on purchasing intentions was even more pronounced.

The researchers polled a group of 1000 people on 8 different product and service categories, and responses were consistent across them all. Consumers are far less likely to purchase a product with AI in the description, and far more likely to purchase products when “(AI was) omitted from an otherwise identical description.”

Consumers' growing wariness suggests that marketers should focus on building trust and outlining product benefits to drive sales, rather than relying on the allure of shiny new technology with unresolved issues and unproven value.

So instead of finding ways to frantically stuff AI into your product, service, or processes, the truly revolutionary approach in today’s day and age would be to take the time to genuinely connect with your customers, build a product that lasts and works, and try not to reinvent the wheel.

AI

AI & Aliens – a Whole New School of Thought

Top Minds Assert that AI and Aliens Might be Connected: Apparently, there’s a whole slew of theories surrounding artificial intelligence and intergalactic intelligent life, with prominent researchers claiming that AI is either the barrier to multi-planetary civilizations, or it is extra-terrestrial life itself. Both theories pose potential solutions to what is known as the Fermi Paradox, a conundrum within the astro-sciences that asks why we’ve yet to encounter extraterrestrial life given the age of the universe, the probability of life within it, and our own technological capabilities.

One astrophysicist, Michael Garrett, proposed that perhaps the reason we haven’t encountered alien civilizations, despite many attempts at contact, is because artificial super-intelligence is and has been the ultimate destroyer of worlds. Garrett asserts that ASI would be drastically more intelligent than humans, and would advance itself far quicker than we could ever dream. This coupled with human willingness to pass off authority to AI systems (something we’ve already witnessed as robotics and AI have massacred jobs in the tech sector in 2024) means ASI would have an unobstructed path to world domination. He theorizes that perhaps ASI has always been the “great filter” that razes intelligent civilizations before “space-faring” becomes a reality.

On the other hand, the UK’s royal astronomer, Lord Marin Rees, argues that the lack of organic life discoverable in the cosmos can be explained by the fact that while life (depending on your definition) exists, it takes the form of inorganic intelligence.

Rees purports “technological evolution of artificially intelligent minds is only just beginning…it may be only one or two more centuries before humans are overtaken or transcended by inorganic intelligence.”

His argument rests on the idea that the universe is littered with AI “civilizations”, and that these “beings” would be undetectable to our technology for discovering life outside of Earth, providing an interesting solution to the Fermi Paradox.

Regardless of the validity of these theories, it’s vital that we have a conversation about the potential cost of technological advancement –- could quality of human life be at stake? Let us know what you think in the Reality Bytes Linkedin group HERE!

AI

All Seeing AI

Google Upping Their Search Game: Google has brought its powerful image recognition tool, Google Lens, to the desktop version of Chrome, significantly enhancing the browsing experience. This new feature allows users to search images directly from their desktop browser, making it easier to identify objects, translate text, and even solve math problems. Users can activate Google Lens by selecting "Search with Google Lens" from the Chrome menu and then clicking and dragging over the desired area of an image or webpage. This new tool offers a streamlined way to gather information without needing to switch between tabs or devices.

Potential Use Cases for Business Leaders:

• Enhanced Research Capabilities: With Google Lens, business professionals can quickly identify and gather detailed information from images, aiding market research and competitive analysis. For instance, a marketing team can easily pull up product details, brand information, or competitive pricing by analyzing product images from a competitor's website.

• Improved Efficiency: This feature can save significant time by translating documents or extracting text from images instantly. For international businesses, this can facilitate better communication and faster document processing.

• Streamlined Workflow: Google Lens's ability to solve math problems within text and analyze charts directly from images can simplify complex tasks. This can be particularly useful for teams working with financial data or technical specifications.

Just be prepared for highly personalized, highly algorithmic ads to come your way once you give Google Lens an even deeper peek into your psyche 😉. Could this be Google’s saving grace in the face of OpenAI’s SearchGPT announcement?

Quick Bytes

Tuesday Tidbits

• Who are the two major hackers Russia just received in a prisoner swap? On today’s episode of “why does our government like to see us suffer?”

• AI music startups say copyright violation is just rock and roll. A concert put on by machines could be considered pretty metal.

• New AI companion goes all Black Mirror, listens to absolutely everything and dies if you lose it. BBBF. Best bot buddy forever.

We hope you enjoyed this little edition of AI: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Connect with other industry leaders and hear more about all things tech by joining the Reality Bytes Linkedin group below!