This article was based on the interview with Deane Barker of Optimizely by Greg Kihlström for The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström podcast. Listen to the original episode here:

One of the key points discussed in the interview with Deane Barker from Optimizely is the role of AI in marketing. He emphasizes that AI, particularly generative AI, has gained a lot of attention and is being integrated into various products. However, there is a lot of hype surrounding AI and it remains to be seen how much of it is justified.

Barker mentions that their company has embraced generative AI and incorporated it into their content marketing platform. They are exploring how customers respond to this technology and what they find useful. Many organizations are investing heavily in AI, as it provides a competitive advantage in the current market. However, they caution that once everyone has access to the same AI tools, the playing field will level out, and other factors such as content quality and process efficiency will become more important.

AI should be seen as an augmentation rather than a replacement for human creativity and expertise. While generative AI can assist in certain aspects of content creation, such as generating images and text, it should not be relied upon as a sole solution. Organizations should stay away from abandoning their creative teams and tools in favor of AI, as eventually, competitors will also have access to similar technologies. Instead, leading organizations view AI as an additional team member that can enhance and speed up certain tasks.

The concept of augmentation is further discussed in relation to the human team dynamic. AI can be seen as an extra team member that types quickly. It is an augmentation to the existing team, providing support and assistance in specific areas. Organizations should consider how AI can fit into their current processes and workflows, and to determine when and where it is most effective to use generative AI.

Thus, it can be most helpful to think of AI as an augmentation, not a replacement, for human creativity and expertise in marketing. While AI, particularly generative AI, can offer valuable assistance in content creation, it should not be seen as a complete solution. The competitive advantage of AI will diminish as more organizations adopt similar technologies, and other factors such as content quality and process efficiency will become crucial. By viewing AI as an additional team member and integrating it into existing processes, organizations can leverage its benefits while still prioritizing human creativity and ideas.