Embracing the New AI Normal
You Actually CAN Get There From Here
As someone who has been working in emerging tech for over 25 years, it has occurred to me more than once that I have been forced to learn and then forget years and years worth of knowledge including technologies that are no longer used (remember Syquest cartridges?), software programs that were once the spine of entire industries ( Hello Macromedia Director!) and strategies designed to keep businesses at the top of their game (RIP Reach and Frequency Advertising!).
And while I have often have thought about how nice it would be if technological advancement could just take a holiday so we could catch our breath (especially in the constantly changing world of digital content marketing education), I also recognize that one of the things that drew me to this world in the first place is the excitement of constant change and innovation.
Many years ago, writer and humorist Mark Twain pointed out that ‘the only person who likes change is a wet baby’. This has certainly been proven time and time again in my experience but I’ve also observed that regardless of the nay-saying of people quick to dismiss new advances in tech as a ‘fad’ or ‘trend’, or those who declare loudly that ‘insert name of new technological advance here’ will end up destroying civilization as we know it, that the world and society in general have continued to constantly change anyway.
I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes on this topic which was shared by Alvin Toffler in his 1970 book Futureshock, in which he declared, ‘The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
As a longtime technology trainer I couldn’t agree more. And I get it - the fear of the unknown can be scary. Holding on to the known can be comforting. But regardless of how embracing change makes one feel, it is truly one of the only constants in our lives.
As AI technologies change and evolve, especially those we use for digital content marketing, the industry and the world will change as well. Societies around the world that a mere 20 years ago had no knowledge of social media or content on demand, will integrate AI tools and what they can offer (both good and bad) as being part of the new normal.
Those who choose to dig their feet in to hold onto the status quo will simply end up struggling against an inevitably. Those businesses who learn how AI can help them progress faster and more efficiently will be the businesses of the future.Those that try to remain ensconced in the familiar will be quickly left behind.
To that point, I happy to share that our new marketing training company Gravity Clamp is now open for business. If you’re a marketing professional just getting started in understanding how the rise of AI tools can help your brands get in front of the right people in the future, then we invite you to check out our brand new course, ‘AI Marketing Fundamentals’. This 100% free course offers two and a half hours of guided instruction and exploration (by yours truly!) designed to help content marketers find new paths through AI that can make their marketing efforts more significant in the future. Click here to enroll today!
At the end of the day, change isn’t bad, it can just be uncomfortable. But once that discomfort can be addressed and a new normal emerges then it stops being change, and becomes the new normal. From there we can incorporate all of the new features and potential into our businesses and put it to good use.
That is, until the next big tech disruption. Which will probably happen next week some time.
About Spider Graham
Spider Graham is the Founder and CEO of Gravity Clamp and has been a fixture in digital content marketing for nearly 30 years. As a technology writer and strategies trainer, Spider spends a lot of time thinking about ways to make content marketing even more powerful and offers AI Marketing focused training and consulting services. Check out Gravity Clamp’s free course on AI Marketing Fundamentals while it's still available, to learn more.