‘When Machines Become Customers’ GIVES A GLIMPSE INTO THE NEAR FUTURE
Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere, and it’s not going away any time soon. And while no one can stop how soon it will enter the customer market, you can prepare for it. In the new book “When Machines Become Customers” by Mark Raskino and Don Scheibenreif,
A mysterious 18th-century code has made even geniuses lose sleep. On the grounds of England’s Shugborough Hall lies a code that refuses to be cracked. The monument features an engraving of Nicolas Poussin’s painting “The Shepherds of Arcadia” and the inscription “OUOSVAVV” framed by the letters “DM.” Countless theories have been made, including: • Masonic symbols lead to the hidden location of the Holy Grail treasure with the outside letters “DM,” meaning “Devout Mason.” • A tribute to the owner’s late wife with the letters standing for “Optimae Uxoris Optimae Sororis Viduus Amantissimus Vovit Virtutibus,” meaning, “Best of wives, best of sisters, a most devoted widower dedicates [this] to your virtues.” • The monument is a dead end with jumbled letters to taunt those who look too deeply into inscriptions. THIS ENIGMATIC INSCRIPTION REMAINS UNSOLVED Discover the Theories Behind Shepherd’s Monument O·U·O·S·V·A·V·V While this may seem like a distant reality, it’s closer than you think. This shift in customer demographics requires an all-new approach to marketing and operations that you should be ready to tackle. Read more about how your business can better prepare for machine customers in this outstanding book. machine’s intelligence has increased, and it will be able to shop for various products from a range of companies. Suddenly the work of choosing what products to buy is being moved from the customer to the machine. Machines will decide what items to purchase based on factual information alone, such as best value and healthier ingredients. Finally, phase three involves the machine customer becoming completely autonomous. The AI customer can predict the need for an item, replenish with the best product available, and complete the purchase with zero human interference. This new feature can benefit small-business owners by taking over the time-consuming task of calculating inventory, identifying customer preferences, and purchasing stock. ink when it senses levels are low or coffee machines that purchase more pods when stock runs out. Phase two expands when smart assistants become widespread and can make knowledgeable purchasing decisions. The
HAVE A Laugh Phase one involves machines being able to purchase items for a customer, but only from a single manufacturer or product type. Some examples are printers that reorder the inevitability of AI shoppers becomes apparent, but what does this actually look like? Raskino and Scheibenreif describe AI-enabled customers as technology that shops for us and will overtake the decision-making process when purchasing products or services. In this surprising book, the writers describe three phases regarding the evolution of machine customers. Currently, we’re at “base zero,” where tech can inform us when an inventory of a specific product is low. We can see early- AI customers in companies like Amazon, where Alexa can purchase an item or its Dash Smart Shelf can sense when an item needs to be replenished and reorders for you. So, what are phases one, two, and three?
Do you agree with any of these theories?
CraigHansonCPA.com
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