Marketing automation and advertising technologies are often presented as the silver bullet to all your marketing needs. However, the reality is often disappointing, as messaging is targeted at predefined segments and sets of rules, falling short of actual individual user needs and wants. This isn't true personalization, as it doesn't scale to the individual, and it isn't capable of predicting the context, needs, behavior (or aberrations in behavior) of a single human being. Fortunately, with the rise of sophisticated artificial intelligence capabilities, particularly machine learning, this can all change. We're already seeing some of the more advanced players move away from formulaic segment-based messaging towards a more truly personalized way of marketing.