Robots are taking jobs intended for humans. That is neither fiction nor an event that will happen in the far future. Machines are getting more sophisticated year per year, and they have started occupying positions previously held by human employees.
Robots Take Over Jobs
Last year, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a report that warned that the new generation of smart machines would potentially replace a significant number of existing jobs. The COVID-19 pandemic will only push the adoption of new technology as companies try to catch up by reducing expenditure, boosting productivity, and turning facilities resistant to future pandemics and other global crises.
The organization estimated that automation would replace 85 million jobs by 2025.
However, it is not all bad. WEF agreed that, as new technologies take over, more jobs will be created. A tech-driven economy will create about 97 million new jobs in the future. People will not be unemployed as feared.
There are plenty of reasons why businesses will choose to automate rather than hire a human. Although the initial cost will be high, machines will lead to savings in the long term. Robots, unlike humans, also do not need to sleep, have the weekends off, or go to sleep; work can go on from Mondays to Sundays, 24 hours per day. Moreover, robots do not need paid leaves, salaries, and other benefits given to human workers.
There is denying machines are better than humans in performing some tasks.
AI in Sales
One job that machines might usurp from humans is sales. Back in the day, people had to go door-to-door to convince consumers to make a purchase. Now, it is all happening online. Consumers decide to buy a product not because a human discussed its features or why they need it in their life. Through the internet, they have access to an almost limitless database of information about businesses, products, or services.
However, the digital landscape is already fast-paced and full of stimulants. There is so much happening that it is a wonder anyone can cut through the noise and send a message to the intended audience.
This is where artificial intelligence (AI) can aid. The technology, coupled with the large troves of data harvested from consumers, can create tailored and hyper-personalized messaging to catch the consumer’s attention.
AI can also aid in determining the best time of day to show an ad to a consumer. It is called programmatic advertising, and it is already in use in competitive markets such as Singapore. Big brands such as Lacoste are also taking advantage of the technology to boost visibility and increase the rate of awareness to conversion.
Increasingly, more companies are rolling out tools that will enable them to harness the power of artificial intelligence and create an effective ad copy. Both Facebook and Instagram, two of the biggest ad platforms around, have AI-based tools to craft a more optimal message for a digital marketing campaign.
AI is also already in use in customer support via chatbots. Chatbots work 24/7 to address consumer concerns. It provides good customer service, which will aid in customer retention.
Money Well Spent
Moreover, businesses will want to employ AI because of how it can optimize their marketing budget. How much money should be spent on various campaigns? By gathering data, the technology can keep watch of how the marketing campaign performs, figure the best timing for it that will yield positive feedback, and calculate optimal cost and means for promotion.
As early as now, many marketers have expressed interest in using AI to develop a content marketing strategy. In one survey, 4 percent of respondents said that they are already using the technology. Meanwhile, 16.99 and 42.04 percent are very likely and somewhat likely to take advantage of the benefits of AI.
Only 36.94 percent are not ready for it yet.
AI will also monitor the constantly shifting market and recognize patterns to enable it and the business to modify the campaign and scale if they have to. It can shift ad money toward strategies that work or change messages to avoid controversy.
AI is no longer an experimental technology available only to developers in Silicon Valley. It is now in use in many sectors, including in sales and marketing. Moreover, in the future, as businesses discover the benefits of the technology, adoption will only increase. The technology will penetrate more businesses and industries. In the future, the most effective salesman will not be human but AI.
