Top AI and Machine Learning Growth Trends in 2023

No matter what industry you look at, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more of a big deal. Projections expect the AI technology market to grow from $7.4 billion in 2018 to over $89 billion by 2025. In 2018, 49% of marketers said their organizations didn’t use any AI, but what do you think these same marketers would say today?

With AI leading how we chat, create art, and track our customer journey, it's definitely something to follow in the coming year and beyond. Here are some trends that we think will drive growth even further.

1.  More sales at the customer service level

Customer service and support teams are using AI to collaborate and problem-solve much more efficiently than before, which saves them time and helps them to meet customer needs in a more personal way.

These now delighted customers are more open to buying at this engagement point, and AI can help CSR reps know what products or services a customer would like most. Imagine a customer calling in to get assistance with an electronic device, getting the help they need, and then being told that there's an exclusive sale on an accessory that consumers with similar demographics and buying patterns have found useful. This type of AI-driven cross-selling and promotion will feel organic to the customer because it’s highly relevant and more of a service than a sale.

2.  VR and AR shopping and engagement

The Metaverse is still largely in concept mode, but customers are enamored with the idea of living, working, and shopping in virtual worlds that cater to their unique interests. Imagine going into a VR game that has predicted the type of experiences you want to have based on past experiences you've enjoyed online. Like the Netflix movie recommendations or Amazon's "based on past purchases" list, you may see an entire digital landscape with personalized goods.

The framework isn’t quite there yet for most people, but for those already dabbling in VR and online worlds, the leap won’t seem like much.

3.  Bigger and better chatbots

Recent survey data shows that people may choose phone over chat for getting help from a brand, but this number is largely based on 2020’s version of “chatbot.” In fact, as we look at the way some brands are using chat, there’s been quite a leap in functionality, personalization, and efficiency.

Part of the reason chatbots are becoming more "smart" is because they are connected to the customer journey data left by the customer when they log in, visit a page, or bring their tracking cookie data to their session. Chatbot tech can see what issues the customer has already tried to resolve, what resources they've used, and what resources are most likely to help based on what's helped other users.

With all this machine learning having been done even before the customer clicks the “help” button, their interaction will be smooth and surprisingly personalized. Even without the data being collected during the customer’s journey, chatbots are becoming more customizable. We've moved beyond what was essentially a "pop-up" email system to what now looks and feels like chatting with a real human.

4.  AI-written content (sort of)

We’re all getting a bit tired of the ChatGPT buzz, but it’s something to address as a potential for brands that want to scale content quickly. Yes, it has its strengths, although we don’t yet know how Google will feel about the millions of words the AI writing tools will create.

To play it safe, big companies are figuring out ways for AI content to fill in more planning and strategy gaps or even be used to create more consistency between marketing teams. Tools like Writer.com exist to take the guesswork out of brand snippets, style guides, and other branded text assets. 2023 should bring about even more options for content marketers who don't use AI for the bulk of their writing and instead use it to get inspiration or even create guardrails for their human-created content.

5. Analytics for everyone

2023 will also be the year of accessible data. You didn’t have to have a data science degree to get most insights before, but now it will be even more “for the masses.” Data and reporting will be far easier to use, interpret, and act upon, even without detailed knowledge of where it came from or how it's imported. Thanks to the thousands of integrations and plug-ins being created, data will just appear on dashboards, and with it, plenty of insights on what this data shows.

Trends will be the highlight of AI in data, such as what Google’s GA4 dashboard is doing when it tells you of a traffic spike, what it may mean, and how you can capitalize on it.

Bottom line: This year will be one of the most exciting for AI and Machine Learning, as we get to see how all of these tools shake out. If you’re worried about the reliability of any new tech, take your time getting into it and see how it’s working out for other brands before you invest. There may be no real advantage to being first to try before you understand how it will support your existing brand strategy. You decide your values, not the machines.