The evolution of search marketing: less artificial, more intelligent
Once upon a time you had to go to a search engine site to find answers. Now, as search is embedded in the fabric of people’s online lives, Microsoft’s Christi Olson argues it’s time for marketers to realise what’s truly at stake.
It has been 50 years since Arthur C Clarke and Stanley Kubrick introduced us to HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey. As such now, the image of a malevolent artificial intelligent machine is one that’s hard to dispel. From The Terminator to Ex Machina, AI characters are often antagonists set on subduing the human race and taking over the world.
Christi Olson, head of evangelism at Microsoft, says pop culture over the past few decades has done a poor job of preparing people for AI’s true potential. As responsible creators, companies can use AI to advance the way they help people.
“We’re moving into a new era where tools and technology are essentially coming to life alongside us to assist us,” she says. “We’re moving from the information age to the age of assistance. It’s actually going to help us so much as marketers and as people. And there’s so much opportunity.”
‘Robot antagonists like HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey have done a poor job of preparing people for AI’s true potential’
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services, devices and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
