The release of ChatGPT has ushered in a tidal wave of content creation tools that promise to forever change the dynamic of sales and marketing, but perhaps not in the way most people assume. The volume of content is exploding, yet audience attention remains fixed. The onslaught of marketing content will be quickly met with automated defense agents. This phenomenon will bifurcate marketing efforts around two core themes: the importance of human connection and the emergence of marketing directly to AI assistant agents.

In the midst of our current technological revolution, the importance of human-to-human trust cannot be overlooked. As AI becomes more prevalent in our lives, people will continue to seek genuine connections with others, particularly when making purchasing decisions. Influencers, who command human-to-human trust, will continue to grow in importance as they foster relationships and provide authentic recommendations. Their role in the marketing mix will become increasingly vital as a means of cutting through the noise generated by AI-powered content creation.

For channels outside of relationship-driven sales, our traditional digital marketing channel lineup, we are on the cusp of massive change. Google search and SEO are all but dead. Paid ads will initially perform well as the ease of content creation and automated testing allows for better audience segmentation and targeting. However, as AI assistant agents rise in prominence, they will quickly be deployed to defend against the deluge of zero-cost content creation and, importantly, they will also perform mundane tasks in the background. They'll efficiently find competitors, source pricing data, and summarize reviews, saving valuable time and resources for consumers.

Understanding how to market directly to AI assistant agents will become as crucial in the next decade as mastering "attribution" was in the last. Businesses that can effectively engage with AI assistant agents and cater to their unique preferences and requirements will be better positioned for success in a rapidly changing world.