How AI Quietly Shapes our Thoughts: AI Influence in Marketing

By Paris Harper-Jung & George Mokdsi.

I am slightly disturbed each time I ask for Siri to open on my phone by using the classic voice command “Hey Siri!”. It has occurred to each person at some point or another that for Siri to function, she must (or rather, your phone must) always be listening to you.

This same thought occurred to me more recently. I decided to perform a test to see if other apps track my conversations as well. To do this, I spoke about buying cat food near my phone at least three times a day. Funnily enough, I found that by the end of the week, I was receiving cat food ads on chrome, Instagram, and Facebook. Now, were these apps actually listening to me? No, as that would likely be illegal. However, apps such as these do track our searches, our ‘favourites’ and interests to gather information about us. Essentially, a complex algorithm is “listening” to us, just not using microphones.[1]

Whilst I appreciate that these ads are focused on providing me with my immediate needs, I can’t help but be slightly curious (and concerned) as to the control that AI systems have over our lives through marketing and predictions. With 95% of local businesses utilizing an AI system in some form or another, it is well worth talking about.[2]

1. AI in Social Media: Practical Insights

“40% of Australian businesses say they will be using AI chatbots in their marketing efforts, with 30% also stating they will use AI for customer journey mapping and content creation and curation.” - iTWire

Have you ever read a caption on an ad and been pulled-in by the phrasing? Perhaps, you notice a difference between the ads you receive on your business work phone and your personal phone? In this new technological age, AI plays a crucial role behind the scenes of social media platforms.

AI algorithms analyse vast databases of terminology and trends to manufacture engaging captions for social media posts. Whether it’s a fresh update or a repost, AI ensures each caption and picture resonates with a multitude of audiences. In turn, customers are more likely to click on a post as it is directly targeted for their interests. The effect of AI content creation on customer interaction seems to be quite drastic, with around two thirds of companies committing to spending even more of their budget on AI systems this coming year.[3]

But it doesn’t stop there, AI actively enhances visual content by finding and applying relevant photos to your feed or sidebar ads on Google.

Whilst this all sounds quite beneficial to the user, there is something to be said as to the subconscious effect that this kind of targeted branding may have on users. With AI systems making all our needs immediately available at the touch of a screen, “companies have witnessed a 451% increase in qualified leads”.[4] This might mean for the user that each of our purchases are being perfectly curated by AI without even recognising it.

2. Anticipating the Unseen: How AI Stays One Step Ahead

"AI in predictive modelling gives marketers tools that they can use to personalize at scale, using deeper and more accurate data based on individual preferences and behaviours."

- Amsive.com

Should we be concerned?

In the vast expanse of the internet, our actions—no matter how mundane—leave behind a digital trail. Whether it be looking up recipes or political campaigns, companies can analyse your data to predict behaviour and make informed decisions on advertising.[5]

Enter the silent observers: machine algorithms that are constantly monitoring our online activity and our environment. These observations fuel predictive models that reveal insights that are sometimes beyond human imagination. Our computers know us intimately through this data and use this knowledge to target advertisements and store information about us to come up with predictions on trends we might take interest in.

Therefore, we receive tailored ads from companies such as product recommendations. This can be of benefit to us, of course. However, with this information in the hand of large corporations, it becomes easy for our spending decisions to be controlled by companies.

Predictive models are used to assess what each person’s next purchase may be (or needs to be) so that ads can be placed in their feeds or search engines before they even realise they need to make that purchase.[6] It is this predictive model of AI which provides the scope and landscape for online purchasing in each consumers life.

Our computers know us intimately. They’ve witnessed late-night coding marathons, impassioned debates in online forums. They’ve seen us laugh at cat memes and cry over breakup songs. They’ve become silent companions, understanding us in ways no human ever could.

3. How Much Further Will AI Go?

Whilst the influence of AI in marketing is cause for concern, this is only just the beginning. With the push for the development of AI that is not only self-learning, but intelligent enough to create its own content and even provide new and novel solutions to problems.

Understanding the evolution of AI is a must-know for any and all business owners. At The Patent Searcher we are interested in how generative AI will impact the IP industry so our director George Mokdsi has explored some of the challenges in his recent article titled – "Generative AI in IP: Resolving confidentiality."

Check this article out on our blog at The Patent Searcher.