No Brainer - An AI Podcast for Business

Is there an AI bubble and if so what does it mean to businesses? Geoff Livingston and Greg Verdino discuss the AI bubble with guest Shashi Bellamkonda, Principal Research Director, Marketing & AI Research and Advisory for Info-Tech Research Group.The three explore a hype wave or a bubble in the AI industry and the challenges faced by companies that have overinvested in generative AI. They also discuss the role of OpenAI and its missteps in managing consumer expectations. The conversation highlighted the importance of practical applications and the need for critical thinking when it comes to AI. The conversation explores the future of AI and its impact on various industries with an emphasis on driving revenue growth rather than just focusing on cost savings.Chapters04:43 The AI Bubble: Hype Wave or Bubble?12:10 The Missteps of OpenAI21:07 The Importance of Critical Thinking in Evaluating AI31:29 Consolidation and Shakeout in the AI MarketShashi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbellamkonda/Shashi’s X Account: https://x.com/shashib Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of No Brainer, Geoff is joined by successful serial entrepreneur Andre Yee, Founder and CEO of Tiga AI. They have a great conversation about the future of AI and its impact on sales and marketing.Andre brought his wisdom, offering insights like, “ChatGPT is the Excel spreadsheet of generative AI.” ChatGPT is a powerful tool, like Excel. But it takes more than a tool to realize true productivity gains. Real results require that companies invest in task- or process-specific AI solutions.In another key insight, Andre dropped a bomb, offering that “Generative AI has a deflationary effect on personalization.” His comments revolve around the cheapening of personalization around singular human behaviors. As a result, generated content hangs on singular life points that turn off customers more than engage them. Listen to the whole episode to get a thoughtful view of AI’s impact on sales and marketing.Chapters00:00 Start02:53 Generative AI as an impact event on sales and marketing08:17 Evolution of sales development representative (SDR) role and AI’s impact on the position14:43 Changes in marketing leadership and technology, including the CMO role17:36 AI and machine learning in marketing and how it works with generative AI24:50 Google's potential acquisition of HubSpot, and the challenges for incumbent big tech companies adapting to AI29:57 Personalization is getting deflated, and it needs to become more relational About Andre Yee and Tiga.AIAndre Yee is the Founder of Tiga.AI, a company that actively prospects leads for companies by learning details about your target accounts and contacts at scale. He is also the founder and former CEO of Triblio, which he led to successful exit to International Data Group (IDG), a global B2B media and data company. Prior to founding Triblio, he was the SVP Product Development for Eloqua, responsible for product development and operations. At Eloqua, he was part of the executive team responsible for leading Eloqua to an IPO and a $957M acquisition by Oracle. Before his time at Eloqua, he was CEO of NFR Security, which he successfully led to growth and exit to Checkpoint Software.Connect with Andre: Visit www.tiga.ai for more information or to request a demo Connect with Andre Yee on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, the AI Knowhow podcast team – Knownwell CEO David DeWolf, CMO Courtney Baker, CPO Mohan Rao, and CSO Peter Buer – take over the No Brainer podcast to dive into how to decipher AI hype and (perhaps) overambitious hope.Is AI poised to solve all of humanity’s problems? Or are we headed for a tech-driven catastrophe? This episode of AI Knowhow dives into the polarizing world of AI hysteria to separate the hype from the hope.Courtney, David, and Mohan break down where AI has been overhyped and where genuine hope lies. They discuss the foundational models in AI, the future of AI hardware, and the realistic applications of generative AI.David also shares insights on the potential of AI to transform enterprise operations, focusing on collaboration and knowledge management, while Mohan explores how AI can create hyper-personalized experiences for users.For the AI Knowhow interview segment, our very own Geoff Livingston joins Pete Buer to discuss the current state of AI in marketing and beyond. They highlight the integration of generative AI with machine learning and analytics, and how this blend could drive real enterprise value.All of that PLUS this episode kicks off with a segment called “Take a Lap, David,” revisiting one of David’s Hot Takes from a few months back. David predicted that the rise of Nvidia and AI in general would spell the beginning of the end of the dominance of the FAANG stocks.Specifically, David suggested that Amazon would be the company to falter because competitors like Microsoft and Google would make gains in their cloud and AI offerings. Venture capitalist Tomasz Tuzung recently covered what may be the beginning of this trend in a post titled When 1% Market Share Shifts Represent $5b of Market Cap.Knownwell is an AI startup that helps you reimagine your business in the AI Era. They are heavily focused on the professional services market. https://knownwell.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Geoff Livingston interviews Lisa Adams, a CMO known for her expertise in AI. They discuss the importance of trust and authenticity in AI, the challenges of implementing AI responsibly, and the potential for AI to enhance human connection. Liza Adams and Geoff Livingston touch on the rise of PR, the importance of creating personalized and engaging experiences on websites, as well as the need to diversify marketing strategies beyond relying solely on search engines. Finally, they explore the role of brands in elevating the customer experience and building trust in AI, and how Apple may lead the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's No Brainer, Greg and Geoff serve up a power-packed two-topic episode. In the first half, they dig into the AI Maturity Model they just released at their AI consultancy CognitivePath. Incorporating inputs from 100+ enterprise AI decision-makers, the maturity model lays out five stages and seven paths to take any organization from AI zero to AI hero. Greg and Geoff discuss why they feel the market needs a comprehensive maturity model and how business leaders can benefit from knowing where they stand.In the second part of the show, they guys switch gears and talk about Apple Intelligence. Smart move or too little too late? How might Apple's emphasis on the consumer experience and their keen understanding of the customer give them an advantage over other Big AI players? And wait, did Tim Cook just outsmart Sam Altman? (bwahahahaha).Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:26 Getting into the CognitivePath AI Maturity Model07:18 Five Stages of AI Maturity14:18 The Seven Paths to AI Maturity20:07 Getting Into Apple Intelligence26:01 Apple's Focus on Consumer Experience36:15 Privacy and Simplicity in Apple Intelligence40:32 Apple's Understanding of Consumer Wants and Needs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Greg is joined by Jennifer Ives -- a seasoned leader working at the intersection of business and technology, an in-demand AI advisor to C-suite executives, and all-around big thinker.  Together, Jennifer and Greg set out to bust some AI myths. Is your organization really falling behind? Is everyone else already using AI? And isn't "everything" AI these days, anyway? Does AI literacy matter for line-of-business leaders? Are ethics important? And a whole lot more.Tune in as they discuss the current state of AI adoption in organizations. They highlight that only a small percentage of organizations are leveraging true artificial intelligence. They emphasize the importance of AI literacy at the executive level and the need for organizations to start small, test and learn, and build out their AI strategies. They also discuss the challenges organizations face, such as data cleanliness and the development of ethical AI frameworks. They conclude that, no, you're (probably) not behind -- but warn that the early movers now are developing a big advantage. So, if you haven't started yet, the time is now.Chapters00:00 The True State of AI Adoption in Organizations10:53 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Adoption 36:08 Igniting Ideas and Driving AI Adoption 41:28 Challenging Assumptions and Breaking Through Barriers 42:28 The Urgency of Embracing AI 43:59 Critical Areas of Focus for AI Adoption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, AI Marketers Guild (AIMG) founder and fractional CMO David Berkowitz joins Greg Verdino and Geoff Livingston for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of AI in marketing.The show kicks off with David’s summary of key findings from AIMG’s recent Q1 2024 marketing AI trends report. From there, they dive into the use cases for AI in various marketing functions and touch on the challenges and opportunities of implementing AI in marketing. The conversation ranges from personalization and creative optimization to the ways AI can level the playing field for small businesses and why agencies need new business models.The trio ponders the future of the CMO role, the coming AI-native workforce, and why senior marketers need to explore and experiment with AI to remain relevant in the face of fast-moving change.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Small Talk03:27 AIMG Study on AI in Marketing07:16 The Impact of AI on Agencies and Pricing12:05 AI's Role in Finding Patterns and Insights21:21 The Future of the CMO Role and the AI-Native Workforce24:06 Advertising with AI28:21 AI Tools for Small Businesses32:30 Adapting to the Changing Marketing Landscape36:24 The Power of Personalization with AI39:09 Advice for Senior Marketers: Embrace AI and Experiment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Knownwell CMO Courtney Baker joins Greg and Geoff to discuss the role of AI in marketing and professional services. The three discuss the importance of leveraging AI to enhance professional services companies' capabilities and relationships. Courtney emphasizes the value of relationship data in professional services and how AI can help organizations gain actionable intelligence to proactively engage with clients and prevent churn. The discussion also touches on the evolving business models of agencies in the age of AI, with Courtney, Geoff, and Greg agreeing that the traditional hourly billing model is outdated and that agencies must focus on delivering (and getting paid for) value to remain competitive. Courtney, Greg, and Geoff explore the potential impact of AI on creativity, emphasizing the importance of human judgment and strategic decision-making in determining when and how to effectively use AI tools. Ultimately, the episode highlights the significance of embracing AI as a thought partner and collaborative tool to enhance work and spark ideas, while still recognizing the unique value of human creativity and relationships in marketing and professional services. Segments Include:00:00 Start03:50 The importance of humanity: What makes the human marketer valuable in the age of AI?15:03 Data is gold, yet it is scarce. Why data is so important to all types of professional services firms, even their communications with clients.18:55 How to change relational data into meaningful insights to reduce churn and strengthen operations.22:33 Deciphering deep data to democratize analytics for all businesses.26:02 Creative Agencies have to change to meet AI, but how does their business model and client relationships evolve?36:31 Why Sam Altman is wrong about AI replacing agencies.43:09 How AI helps us to level up creativity and our humanity.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special guest Eyelevel.ai CEO Neil Katz joins Geoff and Greg to discuss generative AI's hallucination problem. Large language models' (LLMs') propensity to hallucinate in their answers represents one of the biggest barriers to enterprise adoption. Eyelevel boasts a 95% accuracy on private instance responses by using its APIs and tools to prepare proprietary data for LLM consumption.The trio dives into the LLM marketplace, including discussions about why brands choose to implement a private instance, how the LLM market has evolved, and what causes the hallucination problem. Then, they discuss the enterprise data problem and how retrieval augmented generation (RAG) techniques still need additional help to strengthen LLM responses.Chapters include:0:00 Start4:40 Private instance versus licensing enterprise editions of LLMs7:32 Eyelevel’s Air France implementation achieving 95% success rates12:29: The need for enterprise data preparation18:14 The hallucination problem with LLMs and RAG approaches28:23 How governance can or cannot help enterprises32:32 Why some use open source versus proprietary LLMs39:12 The future of AI and an incredible visionLearn more about Eyelevel at https://www.eyelevel.ai/ or contact Neil Katz via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkatz/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of No Brainer, Geoff Livingston and Greg Verdino chat with Steven Freidkin, Founder and CEO of Ntiva. Ntiva offers a full range of IT managed services to growing businesses. It’s no surprise that they’re implementing AI internally and fielding plenty of calls from clients about everything from Microsoft Copilot to more sophisticated AI business use cases driven by proprietary data.In today’s conversation, we cover everything from why even 15 minutes of AI per day will put individual performers ahead of the pack to whether it’s worth paying attention to the hype around artificial general intelligence (AGI.) And we discuss it all through the lens of a tech pro who has rolled up his sleeves and done the work.Chapters00:00 Start02:50 Introducing Steven Freidkin, CEO, Ntiva04:10 How Ntiva uses AI internally and with clients10:10 AI hype vs real world action13:20 Is AI-driven productivity a double-edged sword?15:45 Why Steven challenges everyone on his team to use ChatGPT 15 minutes every day17:00 What about businesses that aren’t adopting AI yet?19:25 Dispelling the myth that AI is “easy” and “cheap”23:00 Is Microsoft Copilot an AI gateway drug?27:00 Is AI the product or just a feature?33:00 The importance of AI guardrails37:00 What does the AI sector need to do better to drive real business adoption?43:45 Is AGI real, hype, or somewhere in between? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices