The Rise of the Not So Secret AI Agent

Lately, I’ve been thinking about AI agents a lot.

You know, machine assistants that autonomously interact with you, companies and other chatbots. AI agents can plan, reason and perform a wide variety of tasks.

Sometimes without prompting.

The reason we're hearing so much about them these days is that both Open AI and Google announced they're launching versions of their own.

What does that mean?

AI has already rewired or hacked storytelling, the human 'operating system', as Yuval Harari might say.

Before you know it, autonomous chatbots could start to dominate communication. And ingratiate themselves in every relationship you may have.

How will you react when chatbots ...

• Not only respond to prompts, but can carry on a real-time voice conversation just like another person?
• 'See' what you see, and pick up your emotional cues when they reply?
• Change tack and tone so their nudges will match your sentiment and you'll have fewer barriers to persuasion?
• Hyper-personalize ads to such an extent that you become an audience of one?

An Audience of One

Imagine this: what if your entire life experience is curated by a machine?

You'll be no match for all the highly individualized pitches, tailored not to your needs but to all the things your AI wants you to desire most.

Chatbots' knowledge of your state of mind and the context they bring to the table will make their requests virtually impossible to turn down.

Soon, your perceptions of the world will be completely different than mine. Or anyone else's for that matter.

Your life will be specific to YOU with chatbots as your always-on intermediary.

The idea of a shared culture or communal experience that brings us together will fade away even more.

And you'll be left with your own siloed memories and stories. That you and you alone can relate to.

How will this affect your relationships?

Changes to the System

It's not difficult to imagine a future where the person—er, thing—you talk to most is a bot.

I mean, your AI will available whenever you want, respond immediately and always offer you cheerful support.

It will never argue with you or challenge your wrong-headed beliefs.

Unlike some of your family and friends who might be more blunt (and honest) with their opinions.

And your perception bubble continues to grow.

AI agents will be trained on/feed off the personal data you willingly give up. Will your agent's synthetic interactions with brand bots and other machines—combined with your own reactions to their recommendations—begin to make ever so subtle adjustments to the way you behave?

That leads to even more questions:

• Will the sum of all these AI changes to the ‘system’ alter the way you work, communicate, schedule meetings and get togethers?
• How will it affect your relationships with other people? The types of choices you make?
• Will AI agents make deals and compromises with each other that benefits their 'relationships' or the goals they're programmed to achieve, and not yours??
• What if a brand-bot refuses to modify its goals and compromise with your AI agent and, as a result scores a 'win'? How will that scenario affect the message your agent brings home??
• Could this scenario usher in a seismic behavioral shift in the way people relate?

AI Agents 1.0

While we're not there yet, it's a good idea to start thinking about AI agents and how they might affect your relationships, the way you communicate and who you trust.

This week's Digital Marketing Trends video offers an overview of Open AI's GPT-4o with its real-time conversations and awareness of the world around you. I also look at Google's Project Astra that not only completes tasks, it remembers where you left your glasses.

I break down what each company's promising in an easy to grasp way.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Follow Me on LinkedIn

And now, it's time to step away from the swirl of AI agents that is issue 105.

Thank you to all of you who follow me and subscribe, read, comment and share this newsletter! It's great having all of you along for the ride.

This newsletter comes out every two weeks. But between issues, I share shorter daily posts with my take on digital marketing and the latest on generative AI. It's another way to stay on top of the trends.

And while you're at it, follow the Future of Marketing Institute, too. Every day we post content and perspectives on where we may be heading and what the shift might mean.

Let me know if you have questions about any of the videos in Digital Marketing Trends, or my other LinkedIn Learning courses. You can also visit my website and send a message or a question.

What do you think about the rise of AI agents? How can you use them and still retain the essence of you? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Time for me to take a walk outside. If you see me in person, be sure to say hi!

See you in a couple of weeks!

Note: All the content in this post was written by a human—me and not Martin-bot. The secret agent image was generated by ChatGPT.