The Challenge

At many firms, the marketing function is rapidly embracing artificial intelligence. But in order to fully realize the technology’s enormous potential, chief marketing officers must understand the various types of applications—and how they might evolve.

The Framework

Classifying AI by its intelligence level (whether it is simple task automation or uses advanced machine learning) and structure (whether it is a stand-alone application or is integrated into larger platforms) can help firms plan which technologies to pursue and when.

Implementation

Companies should take a stepped approach, starting with rule-based, stand-alone applications that help employees make better decisions, and over time deploying more-sophisticated and integrated AI systems in customer-facing situations.