Past, present and future of AI in marketing and knowledge management

Purpose This paper aims to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and marketing within the context of knowledge management (KM). It investigates how AI technologies facilitate data-driven decision-making, enhance business communication, improve customer personalization, optimize marketing campaigns and boost overall marketing effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative and systematic approach, integrating citation analysis, text mining and co-citation analysis to examine foundational research areas and the evolution of AI in marketing. This comprehensive analysis addresses the current gap in empirical investigations of AI’s influence on marketing and its future developments. Findings This study identifies three main perspectives that have shaped the foundation of AI in marketing: proxy, tool and ensemble views. It develops a managerially relevant conceptual framework that outlines future research directions and expands the boundaries of AI and marketing literature within the KM landscape. Originality/value This research proposes a conceptual model that integrates AI and marketing within the KM context, offering new research trajectories. This study provides a holistic view of how AI can enhance knowledge sharing, strategic planning and decision-making in marketing.