Machine learning: 'A game changer, but not a silver bullet' - Mumbrella Asia

Machine learning technology will lead to one of the marketing industry's next biggest transformations – but brands and agencies should not over-value its potential, a new report has cautioned. According to a global study by iProspect, predictive algorithms have become a high priority for marketers, with less than two per cent surveyed claiming it will have minimal or no impact on their business this year. However, while more than half of marketers agreed the technology would help them decipher bigger data sets and deliver personalised content at scale, iProspect's report cautioned them against using machine learning as a "silver bullet" for other industry problems. For example, if the data submitted is bad or of poor quality, it is effectively useless, the study claimed. "Two aspects are fundamental for an effective learning process, whether the student is a human or a machine: valid initial input and time," it said. "Algorithms require valid input and are not yet capable of evaluating the intrinsic quality of an informational entry.