You're perhaps already a frequent use of AI tools thanks to Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant or Cortana being just a tap (or hotword) away. While the AI revolution is often discussed in tech circles, businesses are surprisingly slow at adopting new technology for their marketing efforts. Oracle found that only 31% of companies polled are using marketing technology to manage their campaigns, and only 10% are using it to improve their customer experience. With new possibilities opening for marketing thanks to artificial intelligence, it's time for marketers to play some catch up. Machine learning and natural language processing will help businesses learn about their customers, focus on their needs and even build content and communities.

Retailers need to embrace next generation technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) if they want shoppers to continue using their apps, new research has found. The study found that nearly 30% of consumers would like to see more innovation in mobile apps, so that they provide a better, more personalised shopping experience. Shoppers surveyed said they would be more likely to download a retail app if it featured technology that helped them to make a buying decision, or let them preview products before purchasing them. The report, by mobile app developer Apadmi, surveyed 2,000 consumers who use retail apps to find out what they expect from apps and what they would like to see more of in the future. More than a quarter (26%) said they would like to see retailers implement AI tools in shopping apps, particularly if they help to remember past purchases and recommend products and deals based on shopping history.