It might have started as fragments of imagination long before; however, the 1956 Dartmouth Summer Research Project on AI was the seminal event for artificial intelligence as a field. Many notable developments followed this, and when we fast track to 2020, we foresee AI to bring in a new era of Smarter Tech where informed decision-making through empowered computer algorithms is becoming the critical business differentiator across industries. As AI becomes more capable of analyzing and interpreting data faster, businesses will build better, more personalized, and profitable campaigns. To understand this and the buzz around the growing popularity of Artificial Intelligence in Marketing, we at Research NXT are in the process of conducting in-depth market research to compile key data points about the current state of AI in marketing for Customer Engagement.

Meet Ivey! Ivey is an Intelligent Virtual Entity (IVE) who is designed to work as a marketing assistant at a major corporation. As an AI-powered virtual employee, she carries out certain pre-scheduled tasks on a regular basis--but she does much more than just that. Ivey can understand the virtual environment she works in, prioritize and schedule her own tasks, and interact with her "boss" John using natural language. She can perform complex analytical processes, and -- much like a human employee -- she can learn and improve based on feedback from her environment (and her boss). What does this look like in practical terms?

Sometimes we over-complicate AI, thinking it's too high-tech and futuristic for us to use in our everyday work. But AI is not the future, it's the present. Let's not consider it an unattainable technology, because sometimes AI is so simple that we don't even realise we're using it. AI in marketing is here right now. Results from our latest State of Marketing research report show the highest-performing marketers are 9.7 times more likely than underperformers to be completely satisfied with their ability to personalise omni-channel experiences at scale.

Artificial intelligence is slowly but surely gaining a foothold in every department in every industry. Technological advances show no signs of slowing and artificial intelligence will only become more crucial as time marches forward. Marketing is no exception when it comes to the proliferation of AI. As marketing tactics and techniques become more sophisticated, artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in honing and improving those efforts. Buyers nowadays wants completely personalized experiences.