AI sparked significant discussion and innovation in 2024. Our Director of Ad Operations and Analytics, Jeff Commaroto, has been closely monitoring its impact on our own business and the digital marketing industry. As we step into 2025, we asked him to share his insights and predictions. Here’s what he had to say:
The Struggles of Consumer AI
Marketers love buzzwords and AI is currently in the spotlight. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show – CES – “AI-powered” labels were everywhere, often masking gimmicky features. So far, consumer-facing AI has been weighted more toward hype than substance. In fact, research shows that including “Artificial Intelligence” as part of product descriptions may even lower consumer purchase intent.
In 2024, the “Apple Intelligence” launch underwhelmed, and Microsoft’s “Recall” feature raised privacy concerns. At the same time, tools like ChatGPT continues to reshape and expedite the way we work and is challenging Google’s search dominance.
The futuristic consumer-facing AI of science fiction is still far from being mainstream. So if you were looking for a sassy robot butler, sadly that likely won’t happen in 2025.
A Quiet Business Revolution
Behind the scenes, AI is transforming industries. Machine learning is revolutionizing manufacturing, logistics, and defense while driving breakthroughs in science and medicine. LLM (Large-language models) driven robots are being deployed across fulfillment centers and factories.
This may not be the flashy consumer revolution we and many investors were looking for but the impact will be enormous. The true AI revolution is happening in business and science, and it’s poised to grow even greater in 2025.
The Rise of AI Agents
As we look for the next big advances, AI Agents are the latest shiny object. These are automation systems powered by AI, designed to handle complex tasks.
While promising, current AI still struggles with advanced reasoning and memory. They also “hallucinate” inaccurate outputs. Tech leaders like OpenAI’s Sam Altman predict breakthroughs in these areas will come in 2025 but remain to be seen.
Fragmented ecosystems also pose challenges. Unlike the seamless integration of Star Trek’s tech, today’s devices and services operate in silos, making true automation difficult. Granting AI full access to devices could solve this and that is exactly what many companies are doing – but it raises major privacy concerns along the way.
AI Agents will make big headlines in 2025. They will be cool and very helpful, but don’t expect miracles just yet.
AI and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
FOMO will drive decisions in 2025 with marketers fearing that they’re falling behind as their competitors embrace AI. The reality? Most businesses, especially small ones, are all in the same position.
While AI is advancing rapidly, there’s no need to panic. Use 2025 to explore how AI can add value – not out of fear, but because adapting and learning new skills is always a smart strategy.
There’s no question AI will follow the familiar boom-and-bust cycles of past technologies. Try to avoid rushing into adopting tools you don’t understand or that might soon be obsolete because of FOMO. Start small, stay curious, and build an AI foundation for the future. Most important, have fun doing it every step of the way.