There are a ton of resources out there that claim to help you better understand AI. But not all of them are accurate, reliable, or particularly helpful.
We ran into this problem all the time when we started our learning journey.
We wasted days and weeks reading the same articles that had inaccurate or incomplete information. And it took us a long time to sort the signal from the noise.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that you don’t have to make the same mistakes we did. This list of articles—updated regularly—contains a carefully curated list of material that we found most helpful to quickly understand AI the right way.
1. The Guide to Artificial Intelligence Terminology
(Mike Kaput, Marketing AI Institute)
Artificial intelligence is really an umbrella term that encompasses dozens of technologies—and you’ll hear a lot about them all as you learn more about AI. You don’t need to know everything about each bit of AI terminology, but it helps to have a passing familiarity with key words and phrases. Our guide to AI terminology should help you out.
2. Is This AI?
(Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review)
Now that you have a basic understanding of AI, you’ll likely start seeing it everywhere. But not everything people call AI is actually a true AI technology.
MIT Technology Review’s AI reporter, Karen Hao, has created a brilliant flowchart that walks you through the rules to determine whether or not something is actually AI.
The author, Karen Hao, spoke at MAICON 2019. You can watch her keynote, "What is AI?" here.
3. What Is Machine Learning?
(Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review)
OK, so you understand AI and what is/isn’t AI a bit better. There’s one more fundamental piece to quickly learning about before diving into AI for marketing:
Machine learning.
Machine learning is a fundamental technology that drives the ability of AI to make predictions and recommendations. It’s what gives AI its superpowers. Thankfully, Karen Hao also has a simple flowchart to understand this concept, too. Check it out below.
4. Top 25 Use Cases for Marketing in Artificial Intelligence
(Paul Roetzer, Marketing AI Institute)
How much will AI impact your job as a marketer in the next two years? Probably way more than you think. Find out how in this post with the top 25 use cases for AI in marketing today.
5. Become a Marketing AI Pioneer
(Paul Roetzer, Marketing AI Institute)
Whoa, you’ve only read a few articles—and now it’s time to become a pioneer in marketing AI? Well, actually, yes!
You see, the marketing industry’s adoption of AI is in its infancy. It’s still very early days.
If you’ve gone through the resources above, you’re already well on your way to understanding AI better than most other marketers.
The post below takes you one step further, into the realm of becoming an AI pioneer. (Hint: It’s not as hard as you think.)
The article will show you what’s possible in your company and career, as you work through the other in-depth and/or more unstructured resources in this guide.
6. Demis Hassabis on AI's Potential
(Demis Hassabis, The Economist)
Demis Hassabis, one of the top minds in AI today, describes the massive potential that AI has for businesses and the world, calling it "the most important technology ever invented." Learn why in this article.
7. 13 Mind-Blowing Things Artificial Intelligence Can Do Today
(Bernard Marr, Forbes)
Business expert Bernard Marr breaks down 13 incredible use cases that AI can already do today, showing you exactly what's possible with this technology.
8. The Next Word
(John Seabrook, The New Yorker)
Want to see just how crazy the future of business and marketing will get thanks to AI? This article deep dives into how machines are increasingly being used to predict what we'll write and say next.
Mike Kaput
As Chief Content Officer, Mike Kaput uses content marketing, marketing strategy, and marketing technology to grow and scale traffic, leads, and revenue for Marketing AI Institute. Mike is the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing and the Future of Business (Matt Holt Books, 2022). See Mike's full bio.