Can AI Be The Selling Point?

Hot Topics!

• AI impact on consumers.

• Is Apple Intelligence a key feature of iPhone?

• AI Copilot has a new Voice feature.

• Have you heard about People.ai?

While AI is frequently promoted as a ground breaking technology, consumer skepticism remains high. A study by Washington State University revealed that labelling products with "Artificial Intelligence" can actually discourage purchases, especially for expensive or complex items, if trust in the product is lacking. This wariness is often due to concerns over privacy, manipulative AI-driven suggestions, and a lack of transparency. Additionally, negative media coverage around AI's role in job losses and misinformation further fuels this distrust.

Crucially, emotional trust is a key factor in consumer purchasing decisions. The term "Artificial Intelligence" often fails to create the necessary emotional connection to build trust, making consumers less inclined to buy products associated with it unless the tangible benefits are clearly communicated.

Microsoft Copilot’s New Voice

Microsoft has refined the voice and personality of its AI assistant, Copilot, in its latest update, making it more engaging and conversational. This update was overseen by Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, to help the assistant stand out in the crowded AI space.

Features:

• Copilot’s voice now uses verbal cues like "cool" and "huh" to feel more like an active listener.

• New group of creative directors, including psychologists and novelists, helped shape Copilot's new tone.

• New reasoning capabilities include the ability to analyze web pages and offer suggestions or commentary.

• Copilot Pro subscribers, at $20 a month, get advanced features like "Think Deeper" for decision-making and "Copilot Vision" for interacting with visual content in Microsoft Edge.

This update is part of Microsoft's vision for Copilot as a constant AI assistant across multiple platforms.

Apple Intelligences Not So Hyped!

Apple’s latest iPhone launch, which emphasized AI features of "Apple Intelligence", has received a lukewarm response from consumers, with more excitement generated by a new physical camera button than the AI enhancements. Antoine Chkaiban, a technology infrastructure analyst at New Street Research, pointed out several factors:

Key Points

• Disappointment in Innovation: Early data indicates users are underwhelmed by the iPhone 16, citing limited innovation. The delayed introduction of Apple Intelligence has not helped improve its reception.

• Lengthening Upgrade Cycles: Consumers are holding onto their iPhones longer, further slowing down the upgrade cycle.

• Increased Competition in China: Apple faces growing challenges in the Chinese market, adding to its difficulties.

• Weak Consumer Demand: Overall, consumer demand is softening, affecting potential sales.

Have You Heard Of people.ai

People.ai is a San Francisco-based startup that was founded in 2016 by Oleg Rogynskyy. The company focuses on revenue operations and intelligence for sales teams, utilizing AI-driven insights to enhance productivity and accelerate revenue growth. Their platform analyzes business activities like emails, calendars, and video conferences to provide go-to-market (GTM) insights for sales and marketing teams.

Key Points

• Funding: The company raised $100 million in Series D funding, reaching a $1.1 billion valuation. This funding round was co-led by Akkadian Ventures and Mubadala Capital, with participation from ICONIQ Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

• Technology: People.ai’s platform uses patented AI technology, including SmartMatch™ and PeopleGraph®, to help businesses like Zoom, Okta, and DataRobot increase sales productivity​.

• The company has seen rapid growth, with a 260% increase in customers and triple-digit revenue growth​

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