Is the AI-pocalypse near?
Tech conversations in the past year or so have mostly been focused on the development of AI and its newest applications. Not a surprise, right?
As it usually happens with disruptions, artificial intelligence has raised mixed feelings: from the super-enthusiasts to the super-skeptics – with many more nuances in between. And yet, everybody has jumped on the ‘AI bandwagon’, sometimes putting the AI label on solutions which simply add a set of smart features on top, without necessarily being artificial intelligence.
Between the surge of supposedly AI-based applications which, once you scratch the surface, bring limited value and the sense of impending doom spread by those who believe that robots will make humans redundant, we cannot avoid asking ourselves ‘Is the AI-pocalypse near?’.
The answer is obviously ‘no’, provided that we focus on the yet untapped potential and explore ways to create a healthy balance between human and artificial intelligence. I’m not denying that there are relevant ethical implications linked to the diffusion of AI to be considered. However, this should not prevent us from leveraging it as a ‘superpower’ for us. If you think about it, it’s not the first time (and it’s not going to be the last) that we have been confronted with more or less apocalyptic predictions: ‘Self-driving vehicles will conquer our roads’, ‘Uber will take over urban mobility’, ‘People will no longer own cars’ – in theory, something that would completely change our habits but, in fact, not as groundbreaking as initially thought, despite being innovative.
Unparalleled intelligence which must be put to good use
Recent studies have proved that AI can beat human intelligence on specific types of tasks, especially those which imply recurrent iterations and the analysis of large data sets. Can you imagine how many ways our lives could be improved? And I’m not just referring to our work, but also to applications that can support our environmental efforts, boost medical research or create a more inclusive society. Or, if you are not ready to think big yet, those which can bring the perfect beer to your table or the perfect lipstick shade to your vanity desk.
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And what about automotive distribution?
I can point out at least five areas in which artificial intelligence can enhance the automotive experience, with mutual gain for both retailers and final customers.
Our MotorK Tech Labs have been focusing on researching AI-based solutions specifically designed for automotive distribution for over a year now and we’ve recently launched some brilliant add-ons to our core solutions as well as brand-new products for which we’ve already seen great enthusiasm from our clients. And this is essentially because they solve real pain points and bring real value – they are not just great technical achievements per se.
If we think about the automotive purchase journey, one of the greatest complexities is undoubtedly that of digitally reproducing the showroom visit experience. Using videos in your digital showroom allows you to create a bridge between the two worlds: according to a Google research, 60% of buyers got in touch with a dealer after viewing some video content of a vehicle they were interested in. Thanks to AI, we can now create video assets more efficiently, covering the entire fleet with a sensible use of time and resources and no need for professional skills. This is what led to AI Video, a tool perfectly integrated into our stock management software which allows you to go from “vehicle to video” in just a few clicks, simply starting from the vehicle detail page and photo gallery. Not a mere embellishment of the website or ads, but a real lead generation lever for dealers.
Another major barrier to overcome for dealers is availability, which for the online user should potentially be 24/7 but, of course, is not feasible in real life. If we consider that a recall within two minutes after the first contact is successful in 70% of cases, while this percentage is almost halved after 10 minutes, it’s evident that immediate response is crucial. Having artificial intelligence to do the "dirty work" for us can be highly beneficial. AI can carry out an initial basic qualification of leads and distribute incoming contacts to the first available agent. It can also schedule a recall if no one is available or when we are outside of business hours. This can have a major impact in converting leads to contracts and it is exactly what MotoK's CallSparK will do for you.
All in all, maybe we are not doomed, the Apocalypse can wait. What cannot wait is grasping the opportunities that artificial intelligence is creating for us, here and now, while keeping a vigilant eye on its dark side.