AI: IRL

The banking universe is made up of two distinct worlds.  There are those very large financial institutions — the Wells Fargos and Banks of America — that have giant IT budgets and teams that can get CX done. Then, there are the little guys — regional banks, community banks, and credit unions — who are just now playing in the big leagues thanks to new technology.  In this CXNext episode, Ben Wells, Digital Banking Officer, AVP at Decorah Bank & Trust in Decorah, Iowa, joined us. Ben and I discussed how high-touch relationships coupled with top-shelf technology are changing the world of retail banking.

We flipped CXNext 2020 from an in-person event to a virtual event in just six weeks, and we’re so proud of everyone whose amazing work made that possible! Now that we’ve had some time to sit back and process the experience, our moderators join this episode of CXNext to share what they learned along with new ideas for creating an even better virtual event next time. We heard from Nick Pegram, Chris Savio, Erica Mayshar, and Bob Sullivan of LogMeIn about their major takeaways from CXNext 2020. What we discussed: Technology is a force for good We can conquer this remote work life Make improvements now, not later ...And insights from out virtual event This discussion with Nick Pegram, Chris Savio, Erica Mayshar, and Bob Sullivan was taken from our show CXNext. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here.

We're working differently now. It's hard, and we're carrying a lot.  Consequently, we often get caught up in the big things. We say, "Let's focus on digital transformation or let's talk about reinventing the workforce." If we started paying attention to the little things, however, we could build better experiences without exerting much effort. On this episode of CXNext, I interview Jeannie Walters, one of the top CX experts anywhere. She brings a wealth of experience, including 20 years as a CX consultant. We talk about micro moments and why they matter.  What we discussed: How customer connections are like personal relationships Your customer experience mission ...and why focusing on micro-moments isn't just for huge brands.

You only need to look at the media or read a news report to see that the retail industry faced challenging times even pre-COVID. Now, however, we're reading stories about closures, bankruptcies, and entire industries teetering on the brink of disaster. But these challenging times bring plenty of opportunity as well. How can AI help you serve your customers better than ever? On this episode of CXNext, Oliver Banks joins me to talk about how retailers can think strategically about digital transformation to create the best possible customer experience.  What we discussed: Using technology to maximize the benefits of an in-store experience Why you need to fall in love with the problem Why the first step forward is actually a step back ...And what customers don't care about (and what they do!)   This discussion with Oliver Banks was taken from our show CXNext. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here.

If you've dabbled with chatbots, you know that you have to learn a lot of lessons to succeed with those guys. On this episode of CXNext, I interview Brenda Martins, who focuses on the chatbots we deliver at LogMeIn. We discussed the five key steps to chatbot success. Here they are: Step 1: Define your bot's goal. Step 2: Define your bot's scope. Step 3: Know who the bot is. Step 4: Plan the conversation. (This is where the rubber meets the road.) Step 5: Build the bot.   This discussion with Brenda Martins was taken from our show CXNext. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here.

The question is not: How do you drive growth? That's no secret. You just have to find what works for you, double down, and iterate on it.  The question is: How can you increase the velocity of your learning so you can discover what works for you even faster and thereby sharpen your growth curve?  Could AI be the learning catalyst you need? On this episode of CXNext, I interview Lomit Patel, Vice President of Growth at IMVU, the world's largest, avatar based social network app.  What we talked about: The value of using AI to process data in real time How AI can help target the right user with the right message Using AI to differentiate the signal from the noise ...and why data-generated insights can come too late.

We say on our website who we want to be as an organization, but the reality is that like 16% of people believe what's on a website. Words are cheap. For decades, we've been putting marketing filler on a website, but then we don't deliver on our brand promise.  On this episode of CXNext, I interview Nate Brown, chief experience officer at Officium Labs and co-founder of CX Accelerator. In the final part of a three-part conversation, we discussed what putting the customer at the center of everything we do really requires. What we talked about: It's a lot more challenging to create a customer-centered culture than it is to talk about one How do we refine ourselves, learn from other industries, and improve on what we know about customer-centric culture? … And how do we deliver a personal touch at scale?   Resource mentioned in this episode: Primed to Perform by Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi Fusion by Denise Lee Yohn

On this episode of CXNext, I continue my interview with Nate Brown, chief experience officer at Officium Labs and co-founder of CX Accelerator. In this second part of our three-part conversation, we discussed a shift in metrics from moment-in-time metrics to more real-time analytics, and how can you better drive your organization forward. What we talked about: Why things like health engagement scores and C-SAT are better ways to look at how you measure success in the world of customer experience How to transition from focusing on operational cost management into customer value, customer relationship, and customer centric data What works when tying contact centers into lifetime value How to build metrics to tell your brand's story in a constructive way ...And what changes you can make to create productive dialogue between agent and customer.

Make room for these three trends in the rest of 2020: contact center leaders becoming CX leaders, the shift from moment-in-time to real-time analytics, and putting the customer at the center of everything we do.  On this episode of CXNext, I interview Nate Brown, chief experience officer at Officium Labs and co-founder of CX Accelerator. In the first part of a three-part conversation, we discussed how CX leaders are coming from the world of the contact center, what makes a good leader, the skills you'll need, and how Nate took this journey himself. What we talked about: What makes a good contact center leader and a good CX leader Why rebranding a contact center as a CX center isn't enough to do great CX The stages of moving from a contact center leader to a CX leader ...and why you should lead CX change more like Gandalf on Mount Doom than like Moses on Mount Sinai.

Customers are leaving brick-and-mortar stores to shop online in droves now, thanks to COVID-19. Consequently, e-commerce retailers are looking for the next wave of innovation. In that context, how do we address the challenges of e-commerce and e-commerce management? On this episode of CXNext, I interview Keith Anderson, senior vice president of strategy & insights for Profitero, where he leads the product strategy and global analyst team. We discussed how we can start to manage people, technology, and processes using a more analytical, data-driven approach in e-commerce.

Remote work is hard. You try to stay productive and engaged. You try to keep your team productive and engaged. But it's not easy, especially if everyone feels comfortable with an office routine. What can start ups or smaller companies teach us about remote work? How can you still be productive but also be flexible? On this episode of CXNext, I interview Adrian Brady-Cesana, who holds more than 15 years of experience in customer experience and service, sales, and operations management and consulting and who now serves as senior manager of customer experience at ACV Auctions. We discussed how leaders and companies can deal with a whole new way of doing work. What we talked about: What scrappy bootstrapped startups can teach everyone about shifting to remote work Best practices for remote people management How to change your customer's perspective and engage with them differently ...and how to come out of COVID-19 leaner, meaner, and way more efficient.   This discussion with Adrian Brady-Cesana was taken from our show CXNext. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

How do you engage your customers? Customer advocacy has gotten to be a corporate buzzword like CX or content marketing. But there's a lot to building a customer advocacy program. How do you approach your customers? How do you engage with them? How do you build a durable relationship? Basically, how do you build customers so loyal that they are excited to talk about your brand? Jenny Dempsey, the customer experience manager for NumberBarn and the head of customer experience for FruitStand.com, joined the podcast to help answer those questions. We discussed how companies of all sizes can build a strong customer advocacy program. What we talked about: The hurdles companies and brands face when approaching advocacy Communicating with customers and centering them across all departments What companies are doing to be more successful with customer advocacy ...and how to celebrate your customer. This discussion with Jenny Dempsey was taken from our show CXNext. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

The world is confusing right now. We hear a lot of shouting, mandating, and directing. It's not just COVID-19, either. The world really is getting noisier every day. So how do you stand out amidst the clamor? Tell a story. A simple, elegant, clear story. On this episode of CXNext, I interview Mike Wittenstein, founder and managing partner of StoryMiners, one of the world's first strategic storytelling and experience design consultancies. We discussed how to make complex things simple and comfortable for an audience.

The way we're engaging with our consumers is changing. People are talking about how to engage customers in the current environment, and a big part of that dialog centers around digital life. How can you get closer than ever to your customer through digital engagement? On this episode of CXNext, I interview Paolo Fabrizio, who holds 25 years of customer service experience primarily in the Italian market. We discussed how companies can provide effective and consistent support through social media, chat, or messaging apps. What we talked about: Cultural hurdles to embracing digital customer service The two main pillars of an effective digital customer service plan Using social media to create a positive outcome that becomes a driver for more positive outcomes ...and how COVID-19 may affect digital brand engagement. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Two years ago, I started a podcast called AI:IRL because I kept getting so many questions about artificial intelligence as a way to drive digital transformation.  After 50 great conversations, I finally realized something critical: technology is only one leg of the customer experience stool. With that in mind, I decided to broaden the conversation. Now, I'm refocusing our podcast on questions about customer experience. What's the full potential of CX? How can we take advantage of uncertain times to help our people? And how can we engage with our customers to deliver better outcomes at a lower cost and in a way that really delights them? My focus has changed, but my goal hasn't. I'll still bring you stories that help you live exciting and passionate lives and that redefine what engagement looks like for your organization. Join me on the new journey!   If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Responding to high-quality leads who raise their hand and are ready to buy is the icing on the sales cake. But the actual cake is made up of mid-funnel prospects who have some level of interest, but aren’t ready to talk with a sales rep … and this part of the cake is thick with leads. Ilan Kasan (Founder of Exceed.ai) came on this episode of AI: IRL to share how he’s helping customers use AI to respond to thousands of mid-funnel leads, feed info back into the CRM, and then pass off communications to sales reps when the buyer is ready.  What we talked about: The problem: determining intent without soaking up sales reps’ time How Exceed.ai responds to customers Secondary benefits of AI email responses: 1) Ensure you add qualification questions to automated responses 2) Push data to your CRM 3) Analytics This discussion with Ilan Kasan was taken from our AI: In Real Life podcast. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Twenty years of Google and Wikipedia, but information is still not at our fingertips.  What if we could automate the collection of information using both AI and humans? And what if we could do it by indexing and creating a better entity map? On this episode, I interview Jude Gomila, Founder and CEO of Golden, the world's first self-constructing knowledge database built by artificial and human intelligence, about how to think about, compile, and organize knowledge. What we talked about: Building an index of human readable information and machine readable information How to automate the collection of information Getting good at topic prediction ...and how humans can fill the gaps left by AI. This discussion with Jude Gomila was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

The White House recently released 10 principles to guide the future of AI in the US. Did they go far enough? In this episode, Ryan Lester discussed his 3 takeaways on the AI principles, and what they could mean for the future of AI with the US and around the globe.  Ryan Lester is the Sr. Director of Product Marketing at LogMeIn. What we talked about: The US government involvement gave us a platform to discuss AI At least 2 areas of AI need further exploration (eliminating bias and demystifying AI)  The US government can be a catalyst for the private sector This discussion with Ryan Lester was taken from our AI: In Real Life podcast. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

This week's episode is just me — Ryan Lester — looking back at 2019 and reflecting on what we've seen this year. I've done about 50 podcasts, so I had a lot of great conversations with my guests as well as with my clients and with many of you who listen in. Here's what I learned: Tech titans such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft invested heavily in tools that make AI more accessible and easier to use All this investment is still the exception, not the norm These non-traditional people who should be coming to your table ...and why you should be cautious about making tech your scapegoat This conversation was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

Authentication used to be an easy process.  It all started with the king.  The king would require a wax seal around any form of parchment or communication that was produced, verifying that it was actually coming from the person that it was supposed to be coming from. If it wasn’t sealed with the king’s seal, it wasn't legitimate communication.  It’s become a little more complicated since then.  On the most recent episode of AI:IRL, we sat down with John Baird, Founder at CEO at Vouched for a talk about: The challenges we face with authentication. How to eliminate the friction present in identify verification.  What AI can do to make those challenges less of a burden. 

Manufacturing has long had robots carrying out certain tasks — but those robots require a high amount of inputs on the front end. Then, once those inputs are created, the robots are “stuck” in that position. Throw off the temperature of the manufacturing floor, the orientation of an object, or any other small detail, and that robot has very little ability to respond. But now, with advanced robotics, at least one company is trying to create more aware robots that can respond to their environment. On this episode, Costas Boulis joined us to share how Bright Machines is reinventing manufacturing with advanced robotics Costas is the Chief Scientist at Bright Machines, and was previously an Applied Scientist at Amazon and a Data Scientist for Microsoft, among other advanced science positions. He has a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and received scholar positions at both John Hopkins and Stanford. What we talked about: Industrial manufacturing IIOT AI, robotics, and the future of industrial manufacturing This discussion with Costas Boulis was taken from our AI: In Real Life podcast. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts.   If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

Typically, we feed our AI invented datasets that don't represent real life situations and scenarios. These models are preparing AI for an unrealistic environment that doesn’t work IRL. But James Dean is changing models at his company, SenSat. They’re using breakthroughs in camera and inexpensive drone technology to capture real geographies. They layer these geographies with everyday obstacles — like people, temperature, lighting — to develop models that replicate real life geographies, creating what James calls “digital twins.” James came on this episode of AI:IRL to tell us all about how he’s creating “a SimCity of the real world.” What we talked about: AI models 3D Geographies 3D Geometries  Digital twins LIDAR Large datasets How AI is impacting the construction industry AI in the infrastructure industry This discussion with James Dean was taken from our AI: In Real Life podcast. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here.  

A picture’s worth a thousand words. So, why wouldn’t retailers want shoppers using an image search instead of a keyword search? The thing is… they do. And one company called ViSenze is making it possible. On the latest episode of AI: IRL, I speak with Oliver Tan, co-founder and CEO of ViSenze. We discuss: How an image search engine can work for apparel shopping Data on how shoppers have responded to AI visuals Digital experiences that transcend online shopping   Resources: Visual Search - Why Retailers Should Care   To listen to our other episodes, check us out on Apple Podcasts. Or if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

It's that time of year — getting ready for 2020. By checking your AI for biases. We think we’re getting better insights out of AI, but in reality biases are lurking behind the scenes. On this episode, I interview Vasco Pedro, CEO and Co-Founder at Unbabel, about what organizations can do to recognize biases in AI. What we talked about: Understanding the origin of bias (biased data from biased humans) Mitigating the risk of bias with 3 strategies Questions you need to ask to get ready for 2020 ...and why 2025 is a big deadline   This discussion with Vasco Pedro was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

At first blush, you may think that AI doesn’t have many cultural aspects, that it’s all technology, whereas AI is directly informed by our familial, regional, national, and historical cultures.   On this episode, I got to talk with Davar Ardalan, Founder at IVOW AI, about AI-driven cultural content and why it’s such a relevant issue.   What we talked about: The opportunity for culturally intelligent AI Why AIs need cultural intelligence and how to give it to them. The need for diverse AI designers and diverse AI data Using AI to tell cultural stories   Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Aprajita Mathur at the Test Masters Academy leadership congress The Plug and Play Tech Center playbook   This discussion with Davar Ardalan was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here.   If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can find every episode here.

In the discussion of AI, we don’t talk about taking a user-centric approach nearly enough. We need to be asking: Are we delivering a better user experience through AI? On this episode, I interview Chris Butler, Chief Product Architect at IPsoft: What we talked about: The right way to approach design Getting more people involved in the design conversation User-centric design questions How AI helps identify biases for better decision making This discussion with Chris Butler was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

There always seems to be a fear with A.I. that somehow the world will become too automated and mechanistic. That somehow we will forget what it means to be a human being in all the mess of technology and innovation we’re seeing. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! On this week’s episode we talk with Neil Sahota, Lecturer at the University of California Irvine, about the incredible social effects that A.I. and machine learning are having. A.I. is allowing for customization of individual user experience at a massive scale, which will make the world more personal than it’s ever been before. We cover: A.I. Is Becoming Your Best Friend and Personal Shopper A.I. Is Learning How to Motivate You A.I. Is Freeing You to Spend More Time Investing in Relationships Checkout these resources we mentioned during the podcast: “Own the A.I. Revolution: Unlock Your Artificial Intelligence Strategy to Disrupt Your Competition”. Neil Sahota www.neilsahota.com This discussion with Neil Sahota was taken from our AI: In Real Life. If you want to hear more AI episodes like this one, check us out on Apple Podcasts here. If you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

Any industrial operation’s success comes down to efficiency. If manufacturers or contractors can get more efficient, then they can increase production while maintaining cost to the consumer, therefore driving up profit margins! Today we’re looking at some exciting ways that A.I. is changing the way companies are approaching machine learning and manufacturing. My guest today was Nikunj Mehta, PHd. He is the founder and CEO of Falkonry.  On this episode, we discussed how Falkonry is using A.I. to increase an industrial operations company’s profitability: They are making manufacturers more efficient. They are helping companies apply machine learning. They are making A.I. accessible to domain experts. Checkout these resources: Nikunj Mehta Bold 360 Blog

When it comes to AI, one space that's not really talked about enough is the world of consumer science.  So, on this episode of AI:IRL, we’re joined by Dr. John Ennis. As a market research consultant focused on sensory and consumer science, Dr. Ennis has a really great perspective to share on how we can leverage AI to really benefit the consumer science space. What we talked about: The world of consumer science How they’re using AI to create better consumer experiences The benefits of using AI over humans to generate these results Resources we talked about: John’s LinkedIn Aigora To listen to our other episodes, check us out on Apple Podcasts. Or if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, you can also find every episode here.

I’ve always been an advocate of time management. It’s the best way to make sure you actually get things done.  Well, today’s AI:IRL guest co-founded a startup, TimeHero, that’s taking time management to the next level. Scott Brooks joined me on the show to talk about how he's bringing AI to the world of calendar management. What we talked about: The problem we’re facing with time management today How TimeHero is attacking this problem How they’re leveraging AI to do it Resources we talked about: Scott’s LinkedIn TimeHero

The world of customer conversion is complex. It has a lot of data inputs, a lot of unknowns. But there’s a lot of interest in using AI to drive customer conversion and there are some really exciting use cases out there.  So, I’m excited for today’s episode of AI:IRL, where Stephanie Plunkett, Senior Principal Scientist at Altria, joined me to talk about how AI can really transform customer conversion within your business. What we talked about: How AI can help drive customer conversion How leveraging AI helped Altria increase conversion rates The benefits of using AI in this way Resources we talked about: Stephanie’s LinkedIn Altria

People get excited about AI. But a lot of times, they get lost in the hype. So, on this episode of AI:IRl, Guy Zipori joined me to talk through what’s hype and what’s reality. He also talked about some things we need to keep in mind when it comes to AI and how you can determine if AI is right for your business. Guy is a serial entrepreneur on his third startup, Skyline AI. And with a background in tech, he’s been living in this world of big data, machine learning, and AI, through a number of generations of this tech.  What we talked about: AI vs. the A-Try Why we’re not asking the right questions when it comes to leveraging AI How to determine whether AI is right for your company   Resources we talked about: Guy’s LinkedIn Skyline AI

When people think about AI, there's often a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt that comes up. We wonder whether the technology will replace human jobs or what’s our role in the development of AI. But we don’t really talk about these things. That’s why I’m so excited about this episode of AI:IRL. Prayag Narula joined me to flesh out the human role in the development, management, and utilization of AI. We also talked about the impact AI will have on humans — will it really take over our jobs?  Prayag is the Founder of LeadGenius, a demand generation automation company that uses a combination of data mining, tech, and crowdsourcing to automation and accelerate outbound sales and marketing. 

Did you know that each year farmers lose about 35% of their production to pests, like insects, weeds, and crop disease? Increasing that yield by just 2% would be life changing — in terms of profit for the farmer but also in terms of global food security.  Yet those fields have the potential to produce 35% more. Imagine the difference that would make. 35%. That’s what’s on the mind of Ofir Shlam and his team at Taranis. On this episode of AI:IRL, I sat down with Ofir to look at another way AI is changing lives. We talked about Taranis is applying AI to increase crop yields in agriculture, the framework they used to do that, and how this application of AI will make a positive impact around the world. 

Often times, people get caught up in technology for technology’s sake. But we should really be using technology more strategically to help us do one thing: make better decisions. With 25 years of experience, Gary Saarenvirta, Founder and CEO of Daisy Intelligence, is an expert at doing exactly that — implementing technology to help companies make better decisions. Daisy is focused on delivering AI powered technology that helps retailers make decisions that drive higher sales and profits. Gary came on the latest episode of AI:IRL to talk about the work he’s doing at Daisy, how you can leverage AI to make better decisions, and why we should view AI as augmenting human capabilities instead of replacing them.  

You only need to look at the media or read a news report to see that the retail industry is facing challenging times. There are big things about store closures, bankruptcy, etc.  But these challenging times bring plenty of opportunity, as well. Retailers must step up and focus on serving customers in an exquisite way. And with the rise of technology and things like AI, there is that opportunity to serve customers better than ever before.  On this episode of AI: IRL Oliver Banks joins me to talk about how retailers can think strategically about the digital transformation to create the best possible customer experience. 

It’s usually completely obvious when you’re speaking to an AI, right? Actually, that’s exactly the way it ought to be. I got to talk to Arjun Pillai, Founder & CEO at Insent.ai, about transforming engagement with prospects and customers through conversational AI. Within standard AI, Arjun is building a B2B conversational marketing platform that will enable marketing and sales to engage one-to-one with their prospects and give them a very personalized real-time experience supported by AI. “We are not trying to camouflage the bot as a human,” Arjun said. To learn how conversational AI will connect humans to humans in real time, listen to the podcast.  

This week’s episode is a followup to the excitement of the VentureBeat Transform conference in San Francisco. The discussion continues the discourse on how AI technology and humans can work together to create a new way to transform our world.  Today’s guest, Amit Ben, who is the head of AI at LogMein, dives into the historical relationship between humans and technology. Citing the first typewriter, he explains that adapting humans to technology has been the status quo for decades. However, with the influx of AI capabilities, that’s all about to change. 

We often touch on the opportunity to leverage AI to create a better user experience.  So, on this episode of AI:IRL, I invited Vittorio Banfi, a great subject-matter expert, to add to that conversation. Vittorio brings an interesting perspective on the mix of user interface and user design. Vittorio talked about his company, Botsociety, and how it came to be. He also shared two great points to keep in mind as you start experimenting with AI solutions in your own company. 

During our CXNext Event in Boston I had the chance to sit down with Mariya Yao, CTO at Metamaven and Founder of TOPBOTS. She had just given an excellent presentation, so I wanted to invite her onto the AI:IRL podcast to talk a little bit more about AI. In this episode, Mariya talks about what executives need to know to begin tackling machine learning.

When a company rolls out self-service capabilities, they have to be deliberate. Keeping use cases narrow is the way to go at first. It’s something that Patrick Quinlan, Senior Manager for Self-Service and Analytics at Citrix, has found out firsthand. In this one, Patrick shares how Citrix has rolled out a chatbot on their site—but also how KCS (Knowledge-Centered Support) is just as important as their customer-facing tech.

One of the primary ways any SMB can impact their online presence is by leveraging the power of SEO. On this episode of AI:In Real Life, we interviewed Rich Fong, CEO of Bliss Drive. Bliss Drive has a simple mission with a challenging task: Help businesses increase sales and leads by delivering incredible SEO results. We asked Rich for his top 5 SEO insights for SMBs. We wanted the most return for the least amount of effort. Here’s what he said.

There was a time when all the transactions of companies and their buyers were episodic. That time is past. With the proliferation of so many digital touchpoints, you no longer have to wait in line to speak to someone from a company. You can get instantaneous feedback from social media, WhatsApp, etc. It’s a challenge for companies to rise to that expected level of service. How can you do it? Listen in to hear Paddy Srinivasan, SVP Products and General Manager at LogMeIn, tell you. Also, be sure to check out CXNext, an upcoming event demystifying AI and machine learning.

The pharmaceutical industry is a lot like Texas. Everything is bigger there. Development costs are in the billions of dollars. Drug trials can last as long as a decade because they can’t find enough patients. On the most recent AI:IRL podcast, I spoke with Amitabh P. Mishra, President and Global CTO at Emcure Pharma Group, about how AI is changing his business and other industries as well. Mishra believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to facilitate every stage of the clinical trials process from matching eligible patients with studies to the data collection processes.

When the cost of drug development has increased a few hundred fold, how do find a way to cut expenses and time? AI to the rescue, according to Crystal Black, Director of Marketing Programs for Saama Technologies. The tonnage of data is mind-boggling: Patient monitoring devices produce over 86,000 readings per day. By 2025, 70% of clinical trial participants will be using wearable technology, creating even more data. There are 2 billion data points in a typical phase two trial that runs for six months with a hundred patients. That equals 200 billion data points. To learn how AI will help cut through all this data, listen to the podcast.

Which is a better therapist, an AI app or a human? According to two recent studies, an app is just as good and in some cases better than a human therapist. The app is called Woebot, a friendly AI powered chatbot that delivers cognitive behavioral therapy at scale to make such therapy much more accessible. In our latest AI:IRL podcast, we spoke with Woebot CEO and Co-Founder Alison Darcy, a clinical research psychologist out of Stanford University about why the app works so well. Woebot solves the issue of accessibility in three ways.   By being an app, it is always in your pocket and always available, it lowers the barrier to entry. You can get help the moment you need it. Unlike a human, Woebot can scale to serve many more people 24/7 for a few pennies worth of additional server space. It reduces stigma. The app moves people toward the idea that everybody has mental health and everybody must tend to it regularly. Think of it less as therapy, and more like the very popular meditation and brain-training apps.

What can conducting a symphony orchestra teach you about AI? Plenty, according to Lukáš Kovařík, symphony orchestra conductor and CEO & Founder of the AI consulting firm Bohemian AI. Kovařík was a guest at our latest AI: IRL podcast. AI hype is everywhere. For Kovařík the problem is baked into the name itself. You don’t often hear someone in any industry begging for the creation of a standards board to give needed transparency, but that’s what Kovařík believes will help educate the marketplace. He wishes for truth in labeling that would let AI customers know exactly what they’re buying with industry standards that everyone agreed were tested and independent. People can’t tell the difference between real AI and fake AI. They need to have marketing that’s grounded in reality.

In the final chapter of our three-part deep dive into improving your company’s customer engagement maturity model, we look at the customer engagement maturity level tactics you can deploy right now. This week we conclude our conversation with Ross Haskell and Amber Gregorio from LogMeIn’s Bold360 team about the Customer Engagement Maturity (CEM) Model Assessment they developed with Forrester Consulting.   You can find the amazing results of their research in their report Build Competitive Advantage Through Customer Engagement and AI on the Bold360 website. Deploying AI was the number one difference for those who saw the largest ROI.   AI is not going to replace people, but what it can do is it can help you to offload some of the more mundane tasks so that your people can do the really high value stuff. Things that require empathy, understanding persuasion maybe in a selling kind of environment.

How would you like a tactical advantage for your company that allows you to outpace your competition by an ever-widening margin, year after year? A recent two-year survey of 450 companies revealed that the higher a company’s customer engagement maturity model, the faster it outpaces its competition across key metrics, with the gap increasing year after year. This week we spoke with Ross Haskell, Lead Evangelist for Bold360 at LogMeIn, and Amber Gregorio, Senior Product Marketing Manager at LogMeIn, about a model they’ve developed with Forrester Consulting to help companies understand where they are in the customer experience spectrum. One of the silver bullets that helps improve companies at all levels of customer maturity is deploying AI into their customer workflows. Technologies like AI help a business become more efficient. Those companies that have already piloted and implemented AI are accelerating at a much faster pace than those that have not. Unfortunately, the data confirms that those setbacks compound over time. So it's important for those firms that haven't started thinking about incorporating AI, to get on board now.

Thinking holistically about the customer experience journey can have a huge impact on the bottom line. Experts on the customer engagement maturity curve are 30% more likely to have double digit growth than companies with less advanced strategies. One of the challenges that companies face in closing the customer engagement maturity gap, is silos of people and technology. That manifests itself when customers who deal with one department are transferred to another area and they have a very different experience. Ross Haskell, Lead Evangelist, Bold360ai at LogMeIn, has a lot of expertise in helping companies deliver better customer experiences. Amber Gregorio, Senior Product Marketing Manager at LogMeIn, has a number of years of experience in the financial services industry.

Artificial Intelligence and machine learning deliver serious ROI when you’re dealing with large data volume, but sometimes you need to know when a human should intervene. There are also times when human marketers need to give up a little control to let the AI help drive the conversion process. Finding that happy medium is an ongoing challenge according to Jaime Romero, Global Head of Marketing and Customer Delivery at MRP, a leading global predictive intelligence organization, combining cutting-edge predictive analytics with a full suite of account-based marketing services to acquire new customers, faster. In this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn: Quantification Challenges Where AI Can Lead Where AI Needs Your Help