Yo!
I saw my first mainframe in 1980. It occupied a large room and required punch cards. I was mighty impressed and pursued computer science a decade later, on the 8th of August to be precise. Computers were new and exciting and we were privileged to have unlimited access (except that we girls had a 10.30 pm curfew, but that’s a different story.). Today, the Lego Mindstorms that my daughter uses in her robotics classes probably pack in way more computing power. And I’m mighty glad she’s showing an interest in programming, because basic programming skills are going to be the equivalent of literacy in a few years. There is intelligence – or at least computing – in everything, and if you don’t understand the logic or know how to appreciate their algorithm you are so- well, we’re a family paper!
I had tried a tool that uses AI to screen applicants for roles. The test results didn’t seem too accurate to me (possibly because it didn’t rate me too highly) but I was assured lots of big organizations were using it. A week ago I got a mailer from them saying that they had discovered a bug and many of the test results were not correct for the past two weeks. Imagine if someone had already lost their opportunity due to a “system error”. And those who got an offer they weren’t really suited for. My computer made a mistake isn’t something we’ve dealt with in a long time, but we’ll have to learn to deal with it. Oh wait. My fridge made a mistake is quite likely too – it could read 10/7 as October 7th and let me eat rotten cheese. A knowledge of algorithms and computing will be as essential as “reading” body language was in the past.
The Luddites were a band of textile workers and weavers in Britain in the 19th century that opposed the adoption of machinery that took away their livelihoods. They also opposed their usage to get around labour laws. Cut to today – humans can’t work whenever they want, wherever they want, but the systems and robots can. And if you’re not in a position to work with AI, in a decade you will be on the wrong side of the digital divide. Malcolm Frank, executive vice president at Cognizant and co-author of ‘What To Do When Machines Do Everything: How to Get Ahead in a World of AI, Algorithms, BOTs and Big Data’, believes marketing will never be the same again. As he puts it: “Five years from now marketing without artificial intelligence will be no marketing at all.” You can pretty much replace “marketing” with the function or vertical of your choice and the sentence will read just fine.
If you’d like to talk about this and other futurist topics with like-minded people, you really should join me at the Futurist Business Conclave on August 24th at the Leela Ambience, Gurgaon. We’re privileged to co-host this with Adobe and partners such as LinkedIn and SAP, and associate with Cvent.
We had our kick-off call with the jury of the LinkedIn Content 50 yesterday and it was very stimulating to interact with the likes of the jury chairs, Virginia Sharma, Director, Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn India, and Ashish Bhasin, Chairman CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia, and define what exactly makes good content. The number of times the word “science” was used was quite surprising to someone like me who started writing when it was assumed all agency account executives could write an ad if the copywriter had to leave early, say, for theater practice.
Of course, the future is not just about tech. There’s a fascinating lady by the name of Faith Popcorn who makes annual predictions about the future, and some turn out right. Some of the interesting ones for 2018 – the gender divide will grow, but traditional masculinity will decline, a rise in doctor-less medicine that uses technology and wearable devices, environmental concerns rising as a consumer motivator and “Emo-Surveillance” where AI will mine our moods to customise our offers.
Of course, personalization, when not done right, can make customers feel misunderstood (and turn them into Luddites). For example, we’re hiring for a digital executive, a senior content writer, and an audience outreach specialist, but when I’m repeatedly targeted with ads enticing me to apply for these roles in other organizations I’m a little worried that the algos have gone wild.
Listen to the experts from fast growing Indian brands like MapmyIndia on how they have been able to get personalisation right. Register for the LIVE discussion on Let’s Talk CX Expert Series ‘Enhance Customer Understanding to Build Personalized Experiences’ on 14th August. Paul Writer is co-hosting this event for Let’s Talk CX in association with Oracle.
Next week India celebrates Independence Day. If you’re a bit gloomy about the state of the nation, just take a long road trip. Sure we have problems, but at least you don’t have to lug your unleaded petrol in a barrel in your boot (we did that circa ’98 in our Maruti 800 with optional a/c), look for a bush, or carry a flask of tea to survive till your destination. I’m thinking of driving to Hyderabad next – must visit Ikea which is pinning its hopes on our being the second largest middle class market by 2022. But those who resist change – and cannot see the dangers looming ahead – are in all industries and all levels. As per an AFP article, Siddharth, in charge of a Hyderabad shop for bespoke furniture, said Ikea might attract hard-up students but in general people would stick with “quality”. When a shop has 1,000 articles below Rs 200/-, I’d say it’s on a very strong wicket, to put it in local language.
Hej da for now!
Upcoming programs:
1. LIVE Online Discussion: Enhance Customer Understanding and Build Personalized Experiences – co-hosted by Oracle and Paul Writer on 14th August
2. Futurist Business Conclave 2018 – powered by Paul Writer on 24th August
Best Regards
Jessie Paul
@jessie_paul
