by Owen Shapiro
published by Ivey Business Journal, 2015
Ref 9B15TB01

Stephen Hawking has said that the creation of artificial intelligence would be the biggest event in human history, writes the author of the article, but it might also be the last.

And Ray Kurzweil, a director of engineering at Google, coined the description ‘The Singularity’ to describe the moment when machine intelligence will surpass that of humans. He has predicted that this will happen in 2044.

Whether you believe in The Singularity or not, writes the author, it’s not too far-fetched to suggest that the highly sophisticated machines we already have may one day evolve into another form of consciousness – better, faster and smarter than we humans.

But, claims the author of this article, marketers and brand managers need to be aware of the opportunities that may arise from the psychological effects of such developments. As we lose our sense of uniqueness, he argues, and deal with the repercussions of rapid change, loss of identity, income and social status, the ‘rise of the machines’ will create various business opportunities to help customers adjust to change. 

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About the authors

Owen Shapiro is President of Shapiro+Raj, a Chicago-based market research firm, and author of Brand Shift: The Future of Brands and Marketing. 

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