By now, all of you have been accustomed to the shiny object on the block, Chat GPT. It’s this ‘magical AI tool’ that can seemingly do it all:

  • Want copy written for your ads, ChatGPT’s got your back
  • Looking to create a detailed customer persona, ChatGPT has the platform to jumpstart the research
  • Not sure what content to write about? ChatGPT can even write for you

For a long time, the emotional appeal has been the biggest concern with AI tools. However, ChatGPT is the next step forward as with enough detail, it can even mimic basic human sentiments. 

The original ChatGPT was integrated with Open AI’s GPT-3 – also called a ‘natural language processing model’ (NLP). To simplify, NLP is the ability via which these AI tools are able to understand and interpret the text. The newest evolution for NLPs is Open AI’s latest GPT-4. Companies will now be able to leverage AI to create high-quality content, improve targeting and segmentation, and automate various marketing tasks. 

Open AI so far has the fair share of a market which, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets, is expected to grow from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $35.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period. 

In this article, I will aim to provide a better understanding of what GPT-4 actually is and what it means for us Digital Marketers.

GPT-4 – What it Actually Is 

The biggest improvement in GPT-4 comes in the form of parameters that greatly outnumber its predecessor. For starters, what the heck is a parameter though? 

Let’s discuss this in the form of neural networks which essentially make up a natural language processing model. Within any NLP, there’s a large Neural Network made up of parameters. 

Everything from the output of AI to the learning rate is controlled by these parameters. These parameters then connect with ‘weights and biases’ which is what the algorithm learns through training. 

The biggest point here is ‘learning’. GPT-4 is expected to have over 10 trillion parameters compared to GPT-3’s measly 175 billion. This parameter increase will significantly improve the model’s language processing capabilities, which means the new AI learns faster, responds faster, and processes information much better. 

A study by Pew Research Center found that 64% of Americans believe that AI will have a mostly positive impact on the future of work, but 63% also believe that AI will exacerbate economic inequality. With such a powerful processing model, it’s clear why people are concerned about AI replacing physical labor. 

  • For designers, AI can simply generate an image at a faster rate
  • For data scientists, Chat GPT is simply too fast at processing a piece of information
  • As for Digital Marketers, it’s an open game. You either learn to use AI for your better or you get replaced by it

How GPT-4 will Affect Digital Marketing: 

The biggest change for Digital Marketing will be how basic information is taken by a business and turned into something actionable. In this regard, GPT-4’s enhanced NLP capabilities will enable businesses to get data on research much faster, create high-quality content in a fraction of the time and generate general business guidelines with a single prompt. 

As AI has become better at the interpretation of information, this will also result in more personalized and customized customer experiences. The question is – As a marketer, should you be concerned?

In my opinion, this is a crucial time for the Marketing Industry and we will be required to enhance our knowledge of AI and figure out systems to integrate AI within each and every service that we as Marketers provide. 

  • GPT-4 will improve targeting and segmentation: As marketers, we need to be able to understand raw data and create effective prompts to get better output
  • Interpretation of Data has become more important: Research isn’t the difficult part anymore. It’s how you use data to build strategies, that will make or break your career
  • Putting an entire business on autopilot: The biggest benefit of AI is ‘convenience’. How you translate that convenience to a business owner will be the name of the game

According to a study by Epsilon, 80% of customers are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences. If you’re able to nail down this aspect using AI, you will become a hot commodity in an increasingly overcrowded industry. 

GPT-4 in Action: A Few Examples from the Front

By now, I hope you how to use GPT-4 and the need for evolution as a Marketer to stay relevant. Now, let’s discuss a few examples of GPT-4 in action. 

Several companies are already using GPT-4 to create content, improve SEO, and personalize customer experiences. For example, GPT-4 can be used to generate personalized product recommendations, create social media posts, and even write news articles. 

OpenAI has demonstrated via a GPT-4 demo the ability to generate realistic and high-quality content, such as product descriptions and news articles. The biggest difference comes in the form of GPT-4 being better at understanding slightly ‘nuanced’ prompts and being a bit more subtle with its output. 

As you can see in the screenshot below, the user gave a prompt asking to describe what’s funny about this image, panel-by-panel. Look at what the AI responds with. 

Screenshot of a demo of GPT-4 taken from Open AI's website

Are you not surprised? In the image below, you can see GPT-4’s Model even solving Linear Equations. The most important point to note here is the personalized interaction between the user and the AI. A random person will never be able to tell that that response came from an AI. 

Screenshot of another GPT-4 Demo from Open AI's website

When GPT-4 was announced, Open AI also released stats and a visual demonstration of the AI in action. Moreover, their website has an entire case study on GPT-4 where they compare it with GPT-3 and other NLPs on the market through various scenarios. Several companies, including Adobe and Google, are already using GPT-3 in their marketing strategies to create content, improve SEO, and personalize customer experiences. GPT-4 is now the next step ahead.

Potential Concerns and Ethical Considerations: 

As with any new technology, there are potential risks and ethical considerations to consider when using GPT-4 in marketing strategies. One of the most significant concerns is the risk of biases in the AI algorithms, which can lead to unfair or discriminatory practices. 

It is essential to ensure transparency and accountability in AI-powered marketing strategies to avoid these issues. In my personal experience using Chat GPT, there have been numerous occasions where the AI simply responded with the wrong answers. 

GPT-3 had been trained with information up to 2021. GPT-4 still doesn’t have the ability to scrape links and articles to get accurate information. As such, it’s difficult to assess whether the actual output has a higher quality to it or not. 

The second biggest issue is privacy and discrimination against certain ethnic groups. Human beings train AI at the end of the day. And human beings have biases. Will AI be able to get past those biases and give you neutral opinions? That’s the big question. 

A report by Accenture found that 62% of consumers are concerned about AI discriminating against them in some way. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that AI algorithms can perpetuate gender and racial biases, leading to unfair and discriminatory outcomes.

Conclusion: 

GPT-4 has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses approach digital marketing. With its enhanced NLP capabilities, personalization features, and automation, GPT-4 will enable businesses to create high-quality content, target their audience more effectively, and improve the customer experience. 

However, it is essential to consider potential risks and ethical considerations when using AI-powered marketing strategies. By staying informed and adapting to new technologies, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and succeed in the ever-changing digital landscape.

According to a study by McKinsey, companies that adopt AI early and invest in AI technologies are more likely to achieve significant productivity gains and outperform their peers. A report by Gartner predicts that by 2025, 40% of customer-facing employees and government workers will consult daily with AI virtual assistants. Overall, these statistics and research findings demonstrate the potential of GPT-4 to transform the way businesses approach digital marketing, but also highlight the importance of responsible AI usage and mitigating biases in AI algorithms.