Sunday Shuffle v. 18

As we turn the page on an epically bizarre year, we'll see a shift from AI "storming" to "norming" -- giving us a chance to breathe a little as marketers and get back to the basics.

Hello Shufflers!

We're just a few hours away from crossing the finish line on 2023 and I, for one, cannot wait! 2023 was a difficult and confusing year in technology with close to 1,200 companies letting go over 260K people .

The "growth at all costs " mindset that dominated tech since the 2020 pandemic seemed like the new-normal for many. But last year things quickly changed. A sea change occurred -- from hyper-growth to hyper-efficiency -- and marketers felt a particularly strong pinch as budgets were slashed and their teams pruned.

AI's entrance in early 2023 only added fuel to craziness. Marketers embraced AI faster than many other teams, mostly in response to the pinch they were feeling and to do more with less. It was exhilarating! These tools were like a dopamine shot. But new challenges appeared, such as concerns over content ownership, data privacy, misinformation, and the dreaded "hallucinations."

Now, as we wrap up the year it feels like there is a renewed excitement (dare I say "giddiness") around marketing. Mingling with fellow marketers at year-end events, a clear chorus emerged: "Back to basics." AI might be turning everyone into a marketer (and not necessarily a great one at that), but it's crucial not to lose ourselves in the AI tools. Let's harness AI's strengths to become better, faster, stronger marketers, without forgetting the human touch that keeps our work genuine and impactful.

Let's Shuffle forth into our last edition of 2023 get ready for an amazing 2024!

Inside this week's Shuffle:

• Publishers Fight Back
• The Ferret is out of the Bag
• AI Lightning Round
• The Marketing Corner
• Marketing Toolkit
• Farewell Shufflers

The New York Times Fights Back

The Shuffle: The NYT is suing OpenAI and Microsoft for billions over copyright infringement.? They allege that the companies used millions of their articles to train their AI systems without permission to do so. When asked about current events, ChatGPT apparently gives "verbatim excerpts" from NYT articles, which cannot be accessed without paying for a subscription.??

Why it matters:

This loophole means that ChatGPT/Bing users can essentially get NYT content without paying for it - resulting in lost subscription revenue as well as ad clicks from people visiting the NYT website.? At a time when publishers are seeing traffic crater, this could be a big win as it will force tech giants to strike content deals with large publishers.? We’ve already seen this happening with OpenAI striking deals with Alex Springer and the AP, and Apple exploring similar options .

• New York Times article (paywalled)

The Ferret is out of the Bag

The Shuffle: With hardly any fanfare, Apple and researchers from Cornell University quietly launched an open-source AI model called “Ferret” on Oct. 30 with a subsequent release in mid-December.? It has gradually caught the attention of researchers because of Apple’s decision to be more open with its AI models instead of its usual closed/secretive approach.?

Why it matters:

Apple has been criticized for being caught flat-footed on AI and way behind others like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta and others. Some think that this more open approach is not too surprising as it aligns with the Apple's focus on healthcare advancement and encourages collaboration across the scientific community. My prediction is that Apple will come on strong in AI in 2024 and surprise many.

• Read more about Ferret @ Apple Insider

Other AI News Nuggets:

?? Two US lawmakers filed a bill that would force AI model companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, etc. to disclose their use of copyrighted training data.?

• The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act

?? Would you want to know?? Researchers from Denmark and the US have developed a model that can predict your time of death.? No thanks!?

• AI Death Calculator

?? Runway ML will publish its first edition of TELESCOPE magazine in January to explore the intersection of art, technology and human creativity.?

• Telescope Magazine

?? The Earth Species Project (ESP) is on a path to talk with animals using AI and machine learning to help us understand how we can help imperiled species.

• Talk to the Animals

???? Google says it's getting serious about upcoming US elections with new safeguards against abuse and misinformation.

• Google's approach to US elections

The Marketing Corner

• Will AI result in a Rise in Mediocrity for us marketers? TIME
• How will Google's Search Generative Experience affect marketing? SEJ
• The AI Google Apocalypse is heading for your brand. Marketing Week

"Focus on building your brand. It's the only defense you really have."

• Despite the hokiness of their new ad starring Matthew McConaughey , I bet we see some big things from Salesforce in 2024 with AI.
• How AI-created fakes are taking business from online influencers. ARS Technica

?? Marketing Toolkit

• Pika Labs has opened its text-to-video AI platform to the public for free. I don't personally think it has been worth all the hype its gotten.
• Leonardo just released a new motion feature giving users the ability to easily turn static AI images into animated videos. This was under-hyped IMO!
• Zocket lets you create social media ads quickly generative AI.
• Arcane automates repetitive marketing tasks and offers real-time analytics.

Epilogue

Earlier this year, I decided to jump headfirst into the AI swimming pool and read everything I could about it.? I followed as many “experts” as I could, tinkered with the tools and journaled my observations.? After a few weeks, I decided to compile my thoughts into a weekly newsletter to share my discoveries, particularly for other marketers trying to detangle the Gordian knot like me.?

Now, 6 months later, I’ve decided to take a pause and jump headfirst into something new and different. I'm not able to say what that is yet, but will be able to in the coming weeks.

I see the future of AI in 2024 being less about AI in and of itself, but rather about its application to key vertical industries that are ripe for innovation and advancement for the good of society.? Healthcare, climate and education will see massive benefit from AI's powerful capabilities by helping us see the invisible, better predict outcomes, and automate processes faster and more efficiently.

Looking back on 2023, I am very happy that I started this newsletter and I cannot thank you all enough for your interest. If I learned one thing about myself in 2023, it’s a realization that the best way for me to deal with adversity and make sense of this crazy world is to just write it down!? I’ve always loved the writing of Albert Camus, who said:?

"The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.”

Until we Shuffle again ...