Starting with the industry, robots break increasingly through several fields. They accomplish well defined tasks  far better than establishing relationships with humans. And lately, the progress in artificial intelligence allows robots to interact with humans.
However, in the future, will the robots be able to take the human place in fields that human relationships are critical , such as trading or marketing? Will the artificial intelligence be developed in a satisfactory manner and in a high mental level like logic or rationality?
The nomination of the robot called AI-CD β (Artificial Intelligence Creative Director Beta) as Creative Director on April 1st of this year launches a new step in the insertion of technology in marketing: computer power supports and analyses large volume of data. Robots will become representatives of those companies with the aim of understanding the consumers in a better and fast way.

McCannrobotcreativedirectorAI-CDB
The AI-CD ß Robot

Nonetheless, the bots have already be introduced  in the marketing field. They are equipped with software which ensures automatically repetitive tasks over the Internet. We talk about search engine spiders or web crawlers. Also, we notice an increasing use of technology that automates web and mobile space purchase.
The private marketplace (PMP) advanced during the last decade. In addition to the marketing, automation regroups software platforms and technologies designed for automating repetitive tasks. However, these two types of marketing concern only the automation of purchase and recommendation processes and repetitive tasks done over the Internet or social networks processes.
Beyond these two types of marketing, artificial intelligence combines the analyses of collected data as geographical location and precedent shopping for the purpose of optimising the knowledge about consumers. These analyses enable firms to get precious information in order to offer customers contents and services more appropriate to their expectations and needs. That implies intrusions of web crawlers into social networks and histories in order to search and collect information or to create personalized interactions with customers.
Indeed, companies, like Lancôme, have implemented an accessible customer service from their Web sites: visitors can discuss with companies in real time. Therefore, customer data has been effectively used by firms with the aim of making easier customer relationship.
Also, the behavioural targeting uses tools and techniques which artificial intelligence made possible. Thus, when their expectations are satisfied, Web surfers are attracted to interact by visiting other Web pages.
There is also a set of artificial intelligence tools and techniques that improves significantly marketing. For example, we have the speech recognition used by Apple (Siri), Skype, Microsoft (Cortana), Google and Baidu.
Also, there are language recognition, image recognition used by Google, Facebook, Snapchat, Dulight from Baidu, customer segmentation and website design like the Grid platform.
robot_humanoide_pepper_aldebaran_robotics_softbank
Pepper Robot © Pepper World 2016

Artificial intelligence gives also another type of improvements to the marketing world: a robot-seller which is a humanoid robot capable of analysing expressions and voices.
It works for some big companies. We can see it in Japan, at Nestlé Store where is the Robot Pepper, also in hotels as receptionist, and several shopping mall. It is present also in Europe. There is an example of the robot Alderbaran that works for Darty stores and for Carrefour Spain. The advantage of those robots is the immediate access to the customer files and to all what Internet can give as information on each customer.
This new aspect may influence the public opinion about the possibility or not of replacing human being with robot in the marketing field. Will millions of jobs be replaced with thousands of humanoid robots?
Indeed, some studies warn us of declining employment risk caused by these robots which don’t know any tiredness, illness or similar defects and show a much higher efficiency than humans. However, other studies show that this advancement of artificial intelligence will create new jobs and will leave the creativity and the decisions making for humans.
Thus, these robot-sellers will play only the role of the buzz and will not have a notorious evolution in relationship with human. Hence, the duo formed by human and artificial intelligence is certainly more interesting than just artificial intelligence. To conclude, we can say that the labour market will keep pace with the artificial intelligence evolution.
 


Fatima GAfatiAS

Étudiante du Master 2 Commerce Électronique de l’Université de Strasbourg. Un goût prononcé pour l’innovation, les start-ups, les objets connectés et...Quotidiennement, attirée par les nouvelles technologies et leurs influences sur le marketing.

A propos de Fatima Gaas