AI Agents are becoming increasingly popular for several reasons, representing a significant advancement in artificial intelligence technology and offering numerous benefits for both businesses and individuals. Moreover, here’s a closer look at why AI Agents are gaining such traction:

1. Autonomous Action and Productivity Boost:

First and foremost, AI Agents can work independently, handling tasks without the need for constant human oversight. Consequently, this ability greatly enhances productivity by automating various processes. As Graham Wilkinson, Chief Innovation Officer at Kinesso, points out, “If I look at the volume of work that I put out personally now, it’s increased massively because I’ve got these agents that help me do work now.” Furthermore, these agents function like additional team members, enabling humans to concentrate on more complex and creative tasks.

2. Integration with Existing Systems:

Additionally, AI Agents can be smoothly integrated into current IT systems and workflows. Specifically, they can connect with various platforms and tools, transforming the architecture of the enterprise landscape. As a result, this integration facilitates more efficient operations across different departments and functions within an organization.

3. Natural Language Interface:

In addition, the emergence of large language models (LLMs) has simplified interactions with AI Agents using natural language. Consequently, this accessibility allows even non-technical users to take advantage of AI capabilities. For instance, as Shingai Manjengwa explains, “We can use an LLM as a natural language interface, and then the agent can use information from the LLM to go out on the web and create an itinerary for you.”

4. Versatility and Specialization:

Furthermore, AI Agents can be crafted for general purposes or specialized tasks. From customer service and sales development to HR functions and cybersecurity, these agents can be customized for specific domains. Thus, this versatility enables businesses to implement AI solutions across various departments and functions.

5. Continuous Learning:

Equally important, AI agents have the capability to learn and enhance their performance over time. As Stephen Foskett points out, these agents can access external data sources—whether it’s a calculator, a weather report, or a client list. Subsequently, they can identify these sources, understand their content, integrate the information, and take actions autonomously on your behalf. Ultimately, this ongoing learning process enables agents to become increasingly efficient and effective.

6. Cost Savings and ROI:

Moreover, implementing AI agents can result in substantial cost savings for businesses. By automating routine tasks and boosting efficiency, companies can lower operational expenses and potentially save billions of dollars. Hence, this prospect of a tangible return on investment (ROI) makes AI agents especially appealing to businesses.

7. Enhanced Customer Experience:

In addition to cost savings, AI agents are capable of providing round-the-clock support and tailored experiences for customers. Specifically, they can manage multiple interactions at once, which helps to minimize wait times and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

8. Adaptability to Unstructured Data:

Unlike traditional automation tools, AI Agents can handle unstructured inputs and generate well-formed outputs. Consequently, this capability makes them particularly valuable for processing complex data sets and adapting to unexpected scenarios.

9. Rapid Development and Deployment:

Furthermore, with the emergence of frameworks and toolkits for building AI Agents, companies can now deploy these solutions quickly. As Foskett notes, “There was no agentic AI last year at this time and this year at this time there are SaaS platforms that are being used by some of the biggest names in the industry.”

10. Potential for Future Innovation:

Lastly, AI Agents are seen as a step towards more advanced AI systems, potentially leading to artificial general intelligence (AGI). This potential for future innovation and capabilities makes them an exciting area for research and investment.

In conclusion, although there are challenges to address, including the necessity for effective governance and ethical considerations, the advantages and possibilities of AI Agents are propelling their swift adoption across various industries. As these technologies advance, we can anticipate even more creative applications and use cases for AI Agents in the coming years.

Hey, everyone! I’m here to share some insights from a fascinating chat I had with Jones Loflin, an expert in the art of juggling life’s endless tasks. Our conversation, full of light-hearted moments and profound advice, ventured into the realm of time management and productivity in today’s whirlwind of distractions.

Battling Distractions Head-On

Jones and I dove into tackling distractions, the beasts of our modern, connected lives. We pinpointed three villains: our inner chaos, the lure of technology and our surroundings, and the ever-mounting expectations from others. Jones shed light on a peculiar trend — the badge of honor that busyness has become, often confused with genuine productivity. He offered a golden nugget of advice: mastering the art of saying “yes,” “no,” or “yes, but…” to safeguard our precious time and focus.

Navigating the Work-from-Home Maze

The shift to home offices has blurred the lines between personal and professional life, nudging us towards a potential burnout cliff. We emphasized the crucial role of drawing clear lines in the sand to guard our work-life balance and ensure we don’t end up living at work. It’s about carving out space for work and life, without letting one overtake the other.

The conversation took a turn towards the flexibility in work styles and the peril of the silent resignation wave — when folks drift away, physically present but disengaged, due to vague expectations and misaligned tasks. Jones and I agreed on the power of prioritization and the courage to turn down what doesn’t align with our objectives, making space for what truly matters.

The Scent of Focus

Jones introduced an intriguing aspect of productivity — the influence of our environment, even down to the scent that fills our workspace. He shared his secret weapon: a diffuser puffing out white tea and thyme to sharpen his focus. We chuckled over my curiosity about a whiskey-scented version, pondering the personalized aromas that might boost our concentration.

As we wrapped up, Jones extended an invitation to continue the dialogue on LinkedIn, sharing more tips and strategies for conquering the chaos. I closed our chat by reminding everyone that time is our most valuable asset, and we must wield it wisely. Big thanks to Jones for the insights and to all of you for tuning in. Let’s keep striving to make every moment count, creating spaces that inspire focus and foster balance in this digital era.

In a world buzzing with gadgets and gizmos, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest tech trend. But what does it really take to lead in the digital age? I had the chance to chat with Geoff Blaisdell, a seasoned digital expert, and his insights were like finding a map in a tech jungle.

Tech Isn’t Just for Show

First, we discussed how businesses and technology are buddies. It’s not about having the flashiest tools but using tech to fix problems and add real value. Imagine a superhero duo where one is all tech-savvy, and the other knows exactly where to save the day. That’s how tech and business should work together.

Talking about digital transformation seems like a big, scary term that might mean robots taking over jobs. But it’s actually about making things connect better, streamlining work, and making the most out of data. Geoff put it simply: digital means getting things done faster and smarter.

Goals and Gadgets Should Get Along

We also chatted about ensuring tech efforts align with a business’s goals. It’s like planning a trip—you wouldn’t pack your bags without knowing your destination, right? The same goes for bringing in new technology.

Ah, the big question: Will AI steal our jobs? Geoff thinks it’s not just about job loss. It’s like giving a superhero a new gadget. It can make them do their job better, not replace them. He shared how AI can help investment managers make smarter decisions, like a chess grandmaster teaming up with AI to win the game.

In all this talk about technology, we agreed that keeping things human is crucial. Geoff mentioned a startup using AI to help sales teams but in a way that keeps personal interaction at the heart of it all. It’s a reminder that behind every screen, there’s a human being.

The Road Ahead: Transformations and Challenges

Looking into the future, Geoff sees a mix of small steps and giant technological leaps. He’s excited about things like self-driving cars that could change how we live by giving us more time for ourselves. But, he also worries about the ethical dilemmas, like using AI in courts. Could it be fairer, or could it go wrong?

Our chat also touched on the use of bots in business. The idea is to be clear about using them and not trick people into thinking they’re talking to humans. Plus, we pondered the ethical side of technology, like in the movie “Her,” where someone falls in love with a digital voice. It makes you wonder about the future of human and AI relationships.

Chatting with Geoff Blaisdell opened up a window into the importance of digital leadership in today’s business world. It’s about more than just jumping on the latest tech trend. It’s about solving real problems, staying aligned with your goals, and keeping the human connection alive in the digital age. In a way, leading in the digital world is about using technology not just to change the game but to make it better for everyone involved.

The Future of AI in Sales and Customer Support

Chat with Thomas Ryan, founder of the AI sales software company Bigly Sales, on my podcast. His perspectives on how artificial intelligence transforms sales and customer service revealed a technology that’s not just a fad but a valuable productivity tool. I wanted to share some of his compelling insights.

From Humble Beginnings to Cutting-Edge AI

Thomas traced how Bigly Sales pivoted from a primary sending platform to an AI powerhouse. What drove this change? Customer demand for more efficient outreach and lead gen. By incorporating AI, Bigly Sales offers tools that leave human capabilities in the dust when processing data and accuracy.

A common worry about AI tools is accuracy. Thomas put those concerns to bed. Bigly Sales’ AI is trained meticulously with specific data and instructions to deliver reliable, precise results. This precision inspires trust in the technology from sales teams integrating it into their workflows.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

Thomas highlighted how AI is upgrading customer support, too. AI-powered voice systems can slash wait times and improve experiences. Interactions fueled by AI can identify upselling opportunities much faster than human agents.

Thomas forecasted a future where early AI adopters in sales and customer support reap significant rewards: increased profits, reduced costs, and killer efficiency. These companies will offer better retention through top-notch support, gaining a competitive edge. Laggards may end up struggling or even facing buyouts by forward-thinking rivals.

It’s Not All About Tech

We also addressed the human aspect of adopting new technology. One positive or negative customer experience can make or break brand perception. AI promises consistently positive experiences, potentially turning customers into vocal brand champions. Meanwhile, one negative experience can disproportionately damage a company’s reputation.

The Future of AI Support

Before we wrapped, Thomas outlined Bigly Sales’ offerings. They’re pioneers in AI automation, with tools that can automatically respond to messages and emails. With voice capabilities coming, they’ll revolutionize call centers by efficiently handling high call volumes better than humans can.

Riding the AI Wave

My takeaway call to action is that businesses can’t ignore the coming AI revolution. Integrating AI can let teams achieve peak performance by freeing them from repetitive work to focus on strategy and creativity. My chat left no doubt — the future belongs to those who embrace AI now to enhance business practices for the better.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Embracing AI in Content Creation: A Conversation with Cody Schneider

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Cody Schneider, a Denver-based entrepreneur and digital marketer, on my show. Cody, who has a rich background in marketing automation and content production tools. He has been instrumental in growing multiple software startups over the past decade. He is the founder of Draft Horse, an AI content platform that impressively achieved $10 million in monthly recurring revenue (MMR) in its first month through virality.

The Rise of AI in Content Creation

Cody shared that the idea of using AI content at scale became accessible in July 2022. At this point, AI technology had advanced enough to be usable for marketing purposes. Cody and his peers in Silicon Valley began experimenting with AI for content creation and repurposing. They found that AI was particularly effective at repurposing content and creating content in bulk. Draft Horse, for example, focuses on creating SEO-optimized articles in minutes. Users provide a list of target keyword phrases, and the AI writes a blog post for each keyword.

The Power of AI in Content Production

Cody emphasized the importance of abstracting content production workflows and empowering marketers with AI tools. Instead of hiring a large team to manually create and repurpose content. Startups can leverage AI to amplify the productivity of a smaller team. Cody gave an example of a startup that published 10,000 articles related to SMS and email marketing using AI tools and offshore teams for manual tasks like adding photos and call-to-actions.

We discussed the importance of creating content in multiple formats to reach a wider audience. People consume information in different ways, such as reading, watching videos, listening, or looking at graphical content. Cody suggested repurposing long-form content into bite-sized pieces for different channels like Twitter, YouTube shorts, and LinkedIn. He also highlighted the power of AI in extracting key takeaways from a podcast episode and generating content based on those ideas.

Navigating Algorithm Changes

We also touched on the impact of algorithmic changes on content creation. Cody shared his experience with blogs, where human-written ones saw a decrease in organic traffic while AI-generated blogs performed well. He thinks that Google has a difficult time identifying AI-written content. To create original thought leadership content, Cody recommends interviewing industry experts and using AI to generate an outline based on their insights. This approach allows for unique content creation that stands out from the average.

The Role of AI in Content Strategy

I emphasized the importance of putting thought into content strategy and having a clear goal in mind. AI can assist in targeting, improving, and distributing content, but should not replace the initial effort and strategy put into creating high-value content. We both agreed that AI can enhance productivity and provide opportunities for individuals to upskill and become more valuable resources within their organizations.

Enhancing Productivity with AI Tools

Cody discussed the power of AI tools in enhancing the productivity and effectiveness of junior marketers. He highlighted how these tools can help them navigate their workflows and achieve their marketing goals more efficiently. Drawing from his experience in the tech industry, Cody emphasized the importance of using tools effectively and setting clear goals to guide the team’s efforts.

Cody also mentioned the potential of leveraging global arbitrage by hiring offshore team members. He explained how AI can bridge the communication gap and enable these employees to provide customer service and sales support seamlessly. By using AI to improve their English and ensure accurate communication, companies can tap into a global talent pool and expand their operations.

Embracing AI for Future Success

In conclusion, our conversation highlighted the potential of AI in content creation while emphasizing the need for human input and strategy to achieve success. Cody suggests that individuals should take ownership of this change and build their own expertise in automation and AI. He mentions the emergence of roles like “director of automation” and highlights the value these professionals bring by automating processes and saving the company money. By demonstrating their ability to create value through automation, individuals can secure their positions within the organization.

As we move forward, it’s clear that embracing AI tools and integrating them into our work processes is not just an option, but a necessity. The future of content creation and marketing is already here, and AI is driving it.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

We have often explored the conflicting views of salespeople. Sometimes they are loved, but often they are seen as pushy, unfriendly, and greedy. This negative connotation is often seen in movies and media. A prominent example is the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, in which the salespeople are portrayed as obnoxious, conniving, cheating, and constantly complaining about their leads.

Fear of Change

The same can be seen in views and portrayals of artificial intelligence. The positive views include all that AI could potentially do for us. The negative views come mainly from fear—many people are afraid of what AI might bring us.

AI is creating exponential and rapid change. We are realizing that we as individuals, communities, cities, and industries will also have to change. But change is also often feared.

One fear is that artificial intelligence exists in a black box and is uncontrollable. There are so many unknowns about where it might go—for example, maybe one day the cyborgs will become real and take over.

Another fear is that AI developers are more interested in the power it could have for machines than in how it could help humanity.

A major fear is that people will lose their jobs and be replaced by AI. There is an element of truth in this—one example is the function of paralegals. In the future, AI will perform this function much better than humans because it can conduct and compile research much faster. Paralegals would do well to start training for a different line of work.

Fear is usually irrational. On the positive side, there are also unrealistic expectations about what AI can do for us. On both counts, I want to stay within the realm of what we can currently expect from AI.

Innovation

15 years ago, I published a book called The IT Revolution and pointed out that this revolution was happening faster and faster. This is still true today. The cause of that speed, then and now, is the ever-increasing number of programmers involved in technological innovation. There’s a difference between thousands and millions of people involved.

I recently saw an interesting comment that in the 1980s, most of the top programmers would fit in one room. Today, over a hundred million programmers are using the GitHub platform alone. In addition, there are millions of others working on AI development. That means hundreds of millions of people are constantly innovating in this industry.

The Movement

How far have we come? We can use an analogy of movement.

Over the last few hundred years, we have focused on the speed of moving our bodies to different places. The first great leap was the railroad. The next was the automobile. Then came airplanes, and now we’ve moved on to rockets. In the 18th century, traveling from Vienna to Rome by foot, horse, or carriage could take weeks or even months. Now that trip can be made in 1 hour and 20 minutes by airplane. We have certainly succeeded in moving bodies.

What is happening today, in my opinion, is that we have gotten to the point of moving our minds. That is where artificial intelligence is taking us.

One of my earliest experiences in technology was along these lines. In the 1980s, I brought Apple computers to European universities, focusing on medical schools. One particular professor in a cardiology department was very enthusiastic about computers, and I set up a computer in one room and connected it via PhoneNET to another computer in another room. I was in the first room, and the professor was in the other. I sent a single file over the network from one computer to the other and told the professor, “Yell when the file has arrived!” He did, and it was an exhilarating moment.

Very soon, AI will have access to almost every file in the world. Projects are underway to digitize all books, all documents, all works of art and music. Everything that can be digitized will be. When many of us were young, we researched in a physical library. Before Wikipedia and the Internet, we had to sift through books to find the information we wanted. Today, all knowledge can be digitized and accessible right at our fingertips.

We’ve moved our bodies, and now we’re really moving our minds. This movement means there will be innovation of incredible solutions. It will no longer be predictable what humans will program.

Collaboration and Cooperation

The speed of innovation today is hampered by the distance between collaborating individuals. None of the major challenges facing our world can be solved by a single person. Every problem we face in the future will require collaboration and cooperation.

Here are three examples of issues that require this type of approach:

1. Global Immigration

Using Europe as an example, can one country really solve the problem? Even if the European Union got together and dictated immigration rules, the rules would be meaningless if Libya, Morocco, Egypt, or Turkey didn’t follow them. Of course, immigration is also a problem in the USA, Africa and Asia.

2. Worldwide Health Care

In a very short time, we learned from the COVID crisis how much of an issue health care is. During COVID, we were practically in prison, or some moved to Sweden and were free. This issue also requires intense cooperation and collaboration.

3. Environment

As long as the majority of some countries, or the majority of the population in countries like China, India and others, do not buy into sustainable environmental practices, there will be no real solutions. Clouds that bring vital rainfall do not stop at the borders of uncooperative nations and refuse to bring rain to them.

Use of AI

These and all significant issues require cooperation and coordination. I suggest that artificial intelligence could produce far more efficient decision-making processes and solutions than we as individuals could even imagine. This is because AI has access to all the data. This data includes all the empirical papers, documentation, and studies from universities around the world. For the first time in history, these can be accessed and used where needed without emotional attachment or bias because technology has none.

The more we export knowledge and make it available to artificial intelligence, the more we can reduce the biases generally involved in important decision-making processes. For example, in an international conference, every country has different interests. AI could help us solve many of the problems we face in the future with an unbiased global perspective.

Focus on the Positive

Between the positives and negatives of AI, I really think we should focus on the positives. We are a long, long way from artificial intelligence taking over the world. It’s far more realistic to focus on the current positive benefits that AI can provide.

Of course, as AI develops, we will need to put regulations in place. Just to go back to moving bodies, we have many regulations for all industries that involve flying or driving. It must be the same for AI in the future.

Let’s focus on the positive!

Technology is growing exponentially—faster than we can even comprehend. When my grandfather was a boy, everyone was mainly still riding horses. In 1919 right after WWI, he visited the relatives of his mother in Chicago.  A voyage he had to make first by ship from Rotterdam to New York and then by train from New York to Chicago. By the time he passed away in 1978, such trips were made in a matter of hours by air, and he was driving a brand-new luxury automobile. His lifetime saw the introduction of the car, the telephone, television, air travel, computers and much more.

But the rate at which technology is being adopted today is even more mind-boggling. Just look at the smartphone. The iPhone, which began the smartphone revolution, was introduced in 2007, and a 2013 survey across nine emerging economies found that one in four adults ages 18 to 34 owned a smartphone. By 2018, that number had grown to two-thirds for most countries.

For artificial intelligence, we could predict that adoption will be ten times as fast. Why? The majority of phone users worldwide already have a smartphone. But once you have the device you simply need to download and activate an AI solution. I feel this is one of the dangers of unregulated AI—it simply spreads everywhere super fast, almost instantly worldwide without any control or knowledge of risk to personal data.

Regulations

With this speed of innovation and development. We must reflect on the direction we want to go with AI and what kind of regulations should be placed upon it.

An example from another area would be skeet shooting, something I personally enjoy. Many regulations are associated with this sport, impacting how the shotgun is held, how ammunition is dispensed and cared for, and numerous others. Everyone participating expects and respects these regulations because they care for their own and others’ safety. If it weren’t for these rules and regulations, there would be many accidents, some most likely fatal.

We could take another example with the atomic bomb. It has been with us for around 80 years, and today is the biggest threat to our existence. Atomic weapon technology exists in many countries and, just as with AI, if it were to fall into the wrong hands it would spell disaster. There are many national and international regulations, as well as arms control, associated with nuclear weapons. So far these restrictions have prevented all-out global destruction.

In a similar way, we need to regulate artificial intelligence.

AI Threats

There are three areas in which AI could be a threat.

Government

The first would be the government. There is a term called “statism,” which means that the government has substantial centralized control over social and economic affairs. Control is the number one issue with AI because at some point, politicians would realize they could control it and lead society in any direction they like. This kind of control is what we have seen with Twitter and other social media in the last decade.

Politicians and private enterprises live in two different worlds. Show me one company that would lie as Congresspeople lie. These politicians tell lies, and we can do nothing about it. And it isn’t just one political party or the other—it’s both. They both serve one master, their own interests instead of the people’s interests.

Private Companies

The second threat would be from private corporations that make AI technology proprietary and utilize it in a way to manipulate people wrongly. Right now, AI is under the control of only two corporations, Microsoft and Google. Microsoft took control of OpenAI—originally non-profit, which has since become for-profit—and ChatGTP. The other company, Google, operates on the belief that AI could one day exceed humanity and eventually replace it.

As I explore in more detail below, I believe the only protection from this threat is to make AI completely open source.

Criminals

The third threat would come from criminals. AI in criminal hands could mean, literally, the wrecking of whole economic systems, not to mention threats of fraud to private citizens, their data and their finances, and private enterprise.

AI Regulations and Control

We would need experts to define AI regulations. I would go so far as to say that not only should the government not be responsible for regulating AI.  The government is not responsible for choosing the experts who would regulate AI. If the government chooses the experts, they would then pay these experts’ salaries. So the experts would tell the government what they want to hear.

Independent experts for defining regulations must be chosen from every field, experts not allied to any government or government agency. As covered fully below, control of AI should come from the community, not from the government or private companies.

Introduction of Bias

If experts for AI are not completely non-partisan, the door could be open to entering bias into AI code.

An example of bias could be (as is happening in several sectors of society currently) that a woman cannot be defined biologically, only through subjective gender identification. But how is a human being actually identified? When it is born, it is identified as a human because it has two arms and two legs. The same applies to other animals—a lion is a lion, not a tiger. An elephant is an elephant. And as 99 percent of other animals in nature, humans are either born male or female, identified as such by physical characteristics. For any other type of identification to be programmed into AI would be folly.

Open Source

In addition to choosing independent experts, the other crucial direction is to make AI utterly open source so that access is available to everyone. When AI becomes a closed box, completely proprietary, it can then be in control of governments or various corporations.

There are currently over 100 million open source programmers contributing to the open source repository GitHub, and many more millions of graduate schools every year. With the growing number of open-source programmers, we can leave control of AI where it belongs—in the hands of the community.

I have been a very vocal advocate for open source for many years. In 2001, I and my company Uptime put together and presented a report about how vital open source would become to programming and technology. I presented this report at the famous Cafe Landtmann in Vienna. Executives from Microsoft were with me on the stage, and their position was completely opposite, that open source would never have a place in computing. Of course, today Microsoft has totally reversed its stance, having purchased open source repository GitHub as well as OpenAI.

As covered earlier, the wrong experts chosen for AI could mean the introduction of bias. Bias could also be introduced if AI code is not open source and is proprietary only. It may not happen in the first code generation, but it will happen. We’ve seen this occur through algorithms in social media, and for it to happen in AI would spell disaster.

The Right Direction

With all the confusion in the world today, it’s impossible to predict where events will take us. If the wrong people—meaning governments, private corporate interests or criminals—take charge and control of artificial intelligence technology, we are doomed.

It is, therefore, our responsibility to assume control and define regulations for AI and keep it from going in the wrong direction.