Replace, Add, Augment: A Possible Classification Framework for AI Marketing

In the current wave of enthusiasm for AI marketing, one of the most recurring considerations is that its potential can only be fully realized when AI is used in collaboration with human intelligence, not as a replacement for it. However, to avoid oversimplification in an extremely heterogeneous landscape, it is important to take a more nuanced perspective, invoking several relevant dimensions to classify marketing processes according to the role that AI can play. In doing so, three main strategic options for management emerge: processes for which AI should be considered to completely replace human intelligence; processes for which iterative human-machine collaboration can generate enhanced synergistic value; and processes that can be implemented from scratch to delegate the creation of new customer value to AI. After elaborating on these areas, the “Replace, Add, Augment” model is then introduced to better focus on the infinite spectrum of AI applications in marketing.