The difference between a company's future success and failure will be based on management's commitment to understanding how AI works, believes Zach Kass, an AI futurist and OpenAI's first head of market development. “I believe that the most important element for a company to successfully leverage AI is a management team that is fully committed to its potential. Some people are still not convinced that it will revolutionize their business or industry. It doesn't matter what else happens within these companies, they will probably struggle,” Kass told Zeta Next Intelligence. This was stated in the keynote speech at the conference.
Future AI will have far-reaching impacts on people
Kass has a big vision for the impact of AI and has not been shy about sharing his ideas for adopting AI as a way forward. “I'm thinking from the perspective of people, not just consumers. My prediction is that at some point in the near future, we're going to start a kind of human renaissance. I don't think so. All progress comes at a price,” Kass said. His vision for the future goes beyond improving the customer experience to actually improving people's lives. “It seems likely that humans will take a giant leap forward as a species, curing most of our persistent diseases, and bringing the cost of many goods and services close to zero. Most of the first worlds will have widespread access to water and electricity; Eventually we'll probably get to a place where we spend more time doing the things we love. I don't know when that will be, but it will probably be within the next 50 to 100 years.” Kass said.
Companies experiencing rising costs of doing business, such as goods and services, customer acquisition, and employment, should jump at the chance to live in a world where the cost of goods is near zero. “The one thread that ties most companies that adopt AI is a management team that is passionate about this,” Kass said. The next characteristic, according to Kass, is a company that is willing to rethink everything from a first-principles perspective. “So as long as the company's management believes this is the most important thing to consider, and to what extent the company as a whole wants to say, What if we reimagined the entire industry? — those companies are the most successful,” Kass said.
Transforming the workforce with AI
In discussing the impact of AI on today's workforce, Kass explained how AI will likely commodify most of the workforce's skills and knowledge. However, there are some things that AI cannot do. “So it connects the dots, which still requires humans. But the main thing we're seeing with AI is that it requires wisdom, courage, vision, empathy, curiosity. It's about not being able to actually do what you want to do. These are immutable human qualities,” Kass said.
“My guess is that most people's jobs will be reduced to the most human parts, as anything involving calculations will probably be automated. Also, most people who work with their hands will , I think we can have even greater success in terms of differentiation in the future, because we are far from robots,” Kass said.
Hyper-personalization becomes a reality
As companies continue to build omnichannel experiences and focus on more personalized experiences, they are building deeper connections with their target markets. Similar to the scene in Minority Report where Tom Cruise walks around a shopping mall and is exposed to all kinds of personalized marketing, AI will play a pivotal role in bringing companies closer to that level of personalization. I can. “We'll probably soon get to a place where you can walk into a store or walk into an experience and it feels very personalized. Do they love watering holes? It's because they want to feel like they're their regulars and we're all in a familiar space,” Kass said.
As companies think about the future of AI and its impact across industries, they need to reconsider which internal business processes can be handled by AI capabilities while leveraging the creative work of human intervention. “My hope is that we all become more creative. There are two reasons: one, we spend less time on busy tasks that require calculations, and two, we spend less time doing busy work that requires calculations, and two, we spend more time doing things that are of value to us. “The expectation is that we'll start doing certain things more often than we do now. I think that includes creative thinking, critical thinking, and complex problem solving,” Kass said.
Key points about how AI will impact retail
Retailers and brands must view AI as an enabler, focus on the human element, invest strategically in capabilities, and manage ethics responsibly. Companies need to be transparent, encourage upskilling, involve employees early in the process, and send messages that focus on AI as an enabler to build trust and engagement.
Human qualities such as wisdom, empathy, and creativity will continue to be valuable as AI commoditizes many existing skills and jobs. Therefore, retailers should focus on nurturing these human strengths and creating a culture of innovation. Companies must emphasize that AI is not meant to replace human employees, but rather a tool to improve productivity and creativity.
Retailers should engage employees in the early stages of AI implementation through feedback surveys, focus groups, and pilot testing, while proactively addressing concerns. Companies that offer employees the opportunity to provide input into the development and application of AI will create deeper levels of engagement.
The application of AI raises ethical concerns for employees and customers regarding bias, transparency, and job loss that leaders must address responsibly. Retailers must be transparent about how AI impacts roles and responsibilities. Managers need to communicate how AI can automate certain tasks or enhance human capabilities, and provide training to improve employee skills.
AI can improve retail productivity, shopper experience, and creativity, so retailers should look for ways to apply AI to improve operations and customer journeys. Businesses can invest in AI-powered virtual sales assistants and product recommendations that can improve customer service. Marketing and personalization are being transformed by AI, creating opportunities for retailers and brands.
intelligence revolution
Inside the intelligence revolution is the first regional event series held at the Dallas Arboretum by Zeta Global/Zeta Next. The goal of this event is to introduce new technologies powered by artificial intelligence and demonstrate how best to use AI-powered tools in practice to turn the promise of AI into a reality that reshapes the landscape of marketing practices and customer experience. It was about sharing practices.
Zeta Next Dallas attendees included more than 50 companies including leading brands in retail, financial services, communications, healthcare, travel and hospitality. Topics ranged from modernizing data infrastructure to evolving data governance to realizing the full potential of personalization.