No Brainer - An AI Podcast for Business

In this episode, Greg and Geoff answer listener questions from Lisa Nirell, Phil Gerbyshak, last week's guest Paul Chaney, and TikTok commenters in an open-mic mailbag format. They discuss the challenges of educating organizations on AI integration, emphasizing the importance of alignment, change management, and training. They explore why people prefer fake AI-generated images of themselves and the potential impact on corporate recruiting. And they delve into the topic of AI marketing ethics and the need for marketers to prioritize ethical considerations in their work.The conversation covers the importance of making small improvements, the need for responsible AI, the bare minimum approach in marketing, connecting ethics with day-to-day work, the divide between marketers who get it and those who don't, the power of authenticity, the divide between brands who get social and those who don't, and the importance of providing value to customers.00:00 Start00:31 Introduction and Open Mic Mailbag03:40 Educating Organizations on AI Integration17:48 Fake Imagery with AI and Social Media28:34 AI Marketing Ethics (Again!)36:06 – Divide Between Marketers Who Get It and Those Who Don’t53:58 -.Appreciation for the Audience and Final Word Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of No Brainer, we're joined by Paul Chaney. Paul is the editor of the AI Marketing Ethics digest -- a newsletter that explores the intersection between marketing and (you guessed it) ethical AI. Paul is a digital marketing veteran who was drawn to the subject of responsible and ethical AI when he saw how how few of the marketers who are racing to adopt generative AI tools are having serious conversations about key ethical issues like bias, fairness, human rights, and even environmental impact. He launched his newsletter to close this gap, and has been engaged the conversation ever since.Paul, Geoff, and Greg discuss the definition of AI ethics, why they matter for marketing, what it will take to get more marketers to take ethics seriously, and how brands can determine what's "right." Along the way, they explore how the choices we make today aren't so different from the choices marketers made (or didn't make) in the early days of the internet, email, and (especially) social media. And they land on a fundamental truth: AI ethics aren't about technology but humanity.Here's what to listen for in today's episode:00:00 Introduction01:30 What is AI ethics and why does it matter for marketing?10:33 Are marketers thinking and doing enough about AI ethics?14:36 What needs to happen to put responsible AI on the front burner?25:49 Are generative AI companies inherently unethical?31:00 Marketing history repeats: the internet, email, social media, and AI38:05 How can marketers figure out what’s “right?”46:00 The Ethical Implications of AI and Job Loss52:15 The Future of AI Ethics in Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yahoo! Finance found that executives are only half as likely to mention AI on their earnings calls. Research from BCG found that enterprises aren't as enthusiastic as they used to be about generative AI. Even Sequoia Capital -- a major investor in AI startups --- has argued that the majority of AI tech companies are struggling to nail their value proposition. And all of this is happening as researchers find that OpenAI's ChatGPT plagiarizes its training data 70% of the time and Google's latest releases amount to a series of self-inflicted wounds.AI -- and generative AI in particular -- sure seems like it has teetered from the peak of hype and fallen into the trough of disillusionment. Greg and Geoff discuss why this might be the case. And why this is a good thing for any company serious about AI.What to Watch/Listen For:00:00 Introduction02:44 AI Hype is Dead10:32 Challenges of Implementing AI15:41 Generative AI and its Limitations31:58 The Hype Around OpenAI33:27 OpenAI's Success and Merit34:54 The Importance of Basic Marketing36:18 Salesforce's Focus on Trust37:45 The Success of Companies like Nvidia and Amazon40:00 AI as a Baked-in Technology42:06 Diminished Hype and the Importance of Trust43:03 The Potential Consolidation and Failures in the AI Space48:16 Differentiation and the Need for Viable Products53:54 The End of Hype and the Importance of Getting SeriousAs always, you can visit NoBrainerPodcast.com for complete show notes, including links to the articles referenced during this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's podcast, the conversation centers around Google's deprecation of third-party browser cookies, its impact on marketers, and whether AI might be part of the plan for moving digital marketing forward. Greg Verdino and Geoff Livingston discuss the importance of first-party data, the challenges of unifying data, the role of AI and machine learning in data cleaning and personalization, and -- of course -- the need for a strategic approach to data, marketing, and AI.What to Listen For00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage09:00 How Google's Deprecation of Third-Party Cookies Impacts Marketers20:00 The Importance of First-Party Data and the Challenges of Unifying Data33:30 The Role of AI and ML in a Post-Cookie Marketing Environment42:00 AI Depends on Strategy and Strategy Depends on Data Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taylor Swift is taking over the world... Fake Taylor Swift is taking over the Internet (and hawking Le Creuset pot and pans). In this episode of No Brainer, Greg and Geoff explore the effects of AI-generated deep fakes, misinformation, and disinformation on brands.In the second part of the show, the guys flip the script to look at how some brands are using the same technology behind deep fakes to put synthetic spokespeople to work for their own marketing purposes.What to Listen For:00:00 Intro05:10 (Not) Taylor Swift, Le Creuset, and Fake Celebrity Endorsements12:00 (Not) Jason Aldean, "Go Woke Go Broke," and AI Narrative Attacks22:50 Fake News! And How AI Generated Clickfarms Steal Ad Dollars33:10 How Virgin Cruises and Cadbury Use Synthetic Celebrities Right38:58 Levi's and Volkwagen Generate Controversy with AI47:30 Brainer and No BrainerVisit https://nobrainerpodcast.com/ai-brand-fakes for the full show notes, including links to the stories we discussed on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Verdino and Geoff Livingston, principal analysts from CognitivePath run down the most important AI news stories from this year's Consumer Electronics Show and give their take on what they mean for marketing decision-makers.Correction: During this episode, Greg refers to the FTC banning Walgreens from using facial recognition technology for five years. He misspoke. The correct retailer is Rite Aid. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/12/rite-aid-banned-using-ai-facial-recognition-after-ftc-says-retailer-deployed-technology-without Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our big year-end blow-out! For this episode, we're joined by AI expert extraordinaire, Jeremiah Owyang, as we each make three bold predictions for AI in 2024. Anyone who knows Jeremiah knows that he's made a career out of being a step or two ahead of just about everyone else when it comes to making sense of the intersection between business and technology. For anyone who doesn't know him, Jeremiah is a long-time industry analyst turned entrepreneur and venture capitalist whose Llama Lounge events have become must-attend soirees in Silicon Valley's AI startup scene.Geoff and Greg first met Jeremiah back in the early days of social media. So, what happens when you get three veteran martech monsters together to share their takes on what lies ahead for artificial intelligence? Fireworks!00:00 Start of Show03:40 Prediction #1 (Jeremiah) -- AI agents in your email09:10 Prediction #2 (Greg) -- AI startup bloodbath (bye-bye, GPT wrappers)15:21 Prediction #3 (Geoff) -- The race toward multimodal AI sparks an acquisition frenzy20:36 Prediction #4 (Jeremiah) -- Google loses search market share to generative AI tools24:36 Prediction #5 (Geoff) -- OpenAI feels more fallout from its recent drama30:30 Prediction #6 (Greg) -- The rise of small or "specialized" language models35:56 Prediction #7 (Greg) The end of aimless experimentation as marketers get strategic with AI39:32 Prediction #8 (Geoff) D.C., the presidential election, and the rising rhetoric about regulation (and more) will make us "hate" AI.43:05 Prediction #9 (Jeremiah) Hyper-personalized content gets real Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year! That's right -- it's been a full year since ChatGPT came onto the scene and sent the world into a tizzy over generative AI. To celebrate the occasion and because 2023 is winding down, Greg Verdino and Geoff Livingston taking a look back at the "Year of AI." What trends, tech, big news, and boo-boos caught and kept our attention during a year that was (shall we say) eventful? Listen or watch this pipin' hot episode of No Brainer to find out.As a bonus, you'll also find out why Geoff regrets buying a fancy new webcam!What to Watch For00:00 Start05:50 Geoff's Trend 1: AI Euphoria – Business communities were abound with excitement during the first half of the year.07:10 Greg's Trend 1: AI Hype Cycle — From Euphoria to existential risk, and everything in between.15:05 Greg's Trend 2: The Generative AI Horse Race — Open AI has opened the door, and it is a dynamic market with many competitors, including Claude and Google.18:40 Geoff's Trend 2: Fake AI — From shrink-wrapped GPT solutions masquerading as new solutions to bolt-ons, we saw a lot of masquerades.24:20 Geoff's Trend 3: The Struggle for Ethical AI — From data sourcing and public figures to government regulation and Open AI’s board scrap, ethical AI is a constant discussion point.31:20 Greg's #3: Coca-Cola's Bain and OpenAI Partnership — Coke has paved the way for corporate marketing AI innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Around mid-day on Friday, November 17, Sam Altman -- the high-profile CEO of OpenAI -- was fired without notice by the organization's non-profit b0ard. CTO Mira Murati was elevated to interim CEO, president Greg Brockman lost his own board seat and subsequently quit, and several senior AI researchers resigned too. Word on the street is co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever was the man behind the moves and put the debate between speed vs safety, profit vs purpose at the heart of the decision. Or was it rumors that Altman was planning a new AI company and hadn't been forthright with the board about what he's working on?But by Saturday, the company's blindsided investors (including Microsoft) were jockeying to reinstate Altman and demanding that the board resign instead. Will Altman return? Maybe. Maybe not.Is this a battle for the soul of generative AI? What does this mean for ChatGPT and all the tech startups that built their solutions on top of OpenAI's large langauge models? And what -- if anything -- should marketers make of the shakeup?In this "emergency edition" of No Brainer, Geoff Livingston and Greg Verdino summarize the unfolding drama (as of Sunday, 11/19 at 9am Eastern), and share their takes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At their first-ever DevDay, OpenAI announced GPT-4 Turbo with a massive new context window, training data through April 2023, and more cost effective API calls. But the news that most marketers latched onto was the launch of GPTs – a new way for anyone to create a tailored version of ChatGPT to be more helpful in their daily life, at specific tasks, at work, or at home. And then share that creation with others on ChatGPT paid plans (and eventually through a GPT store).With a week or so of thinking and tinkering, Greg and Geoff offer up their take on whether GPTs live up to the hype, what it’s like to build them, where they fit into the larger AI story, and what they mean for marketers.What to Listen For:00:00 Start10:40 What are GPTs? And why should we care?20:41 Is this Open AI’s App Store moment?36:43 The Low-Code, No-Code Future49:01 The End of Shrink-Wrapped Apps?54:17 Brainer/No BrainerGet the full show notes, including links to resources and articles mentioned during the show: https://nobrainerpodcast.com/openai-gpt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices