![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/UK_Summit_Venue-1024x682.jpg\")
Empathy and Intelligence: AI\u2019s Competitive Advantage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nJeremy White, Executive Editor of Wired UK, kicked off with a look at the dramatic rise of AI, driven by technological advances which mean that today, a $1,000 computer is a million times more powerful than in 1993. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSeven years ago we were teaching computers how to recognize cats,\u201d White said, \u201cand now KFC can recognize a customer, know when they last visited, what they ordered, and what\u2019s new on the menu since their most recent trip.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White also highlighted how McDonald\u2019s uses AI to recognize customers by their license plates at the drive-thru and to change menus dynamically depending on the traffic flow, the weather, the time of day, or even up-to-the-minute eating trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Uk_Summit_White-1024x682.jpg\")
Jeremy White, Executive Editor of Wired UK, spoke about the dramatic rise of AI<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFacial recognition is now so good that Apple-owned Emotient can read crowds at an event, analyze the mix of gender, age, socio-economic group, and even mood, and then adjust ads on digital billboards to best target the audience in real-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, sports audiences are predominantly male, but at half time, when men are more likely to buy a drink and use the bathroom, the audience can become up to 80% female, which is priceless information for advertisers looking for precision targeting of customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voice technology is still relatively nascent, but it\u2019s growing at a fast pace, especially in Asia: the Bank of China now handles up to two million customer \u201cconversations\u201d every day. Meanwhile, Samsung\u2019s Viv can write its own program on your phone to provide accurate answers to sophisticated queries like, \u201cWill it be warmer than 70 degrees at Golden Gate Bridge the day after tomorrow?\u201d So far she can only do it in American English, which is why Viv is not better known. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI is not just clever; it gives you a proven competitive advantage. Just ask Bd4, whose \u201cdigital empathy\u201d AI improved conversion rates on a travel site by 40%; or Nintendo, whose market value shot up by $8.5 billion in the two days after Pok\u00e9mon Go was launched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI\u2019s Role in Mobility and Dynamic Content <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAI is a big driver in mobility innovation, argued Mark Crosbie-Smith, Head of Product and Global Design at cab company Addison Lee, who shared his insights into London\u2019s new autonomous vehicle service, Endeavour, which is launching a pilot in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Crosbie-Smith revealed that Endeavour is using WordPress as a \u201cheadless\u201d Content Management System (CMS), (which separates the user head from the back end) to communicate with customers during the trial, partly because of its proven success with Addison Lee customers and on Samsung\u2019s global news app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/UK_Summit_MCSmith-1024x682.jpg\")
Mark Crosbie-Smith, Head of Product and Global Design at cab company Addison Lee, shared insights into London\u2019s new autonomous vehicle service, Endeavour, which is launching a pilot in 2020.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe ability to create dynamic content throughout the customer journey is going to be really exciting,\u201d he said. \u201cI love using the WordPress CMS and, importantly, our content generators are familiar with it. Headless has an exciting future\u2014it\u2019s going to be a hell of a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Human Touch: Put People at the Heart of Your AI Strategy <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDr Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, discussed the \u201curgency\u201d of adopting AI in a study co-developed with WP Engine, which examines the best ways to build powerful digital experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite what he called the \u201cmindstorm\u201d of Brexit, Dr. Brauer said that the UK is a uniquely competitive AI marketplace, up there with the U.S. and China. The UK is number two in the world for AI readiness and number three for investment, plus it has a long history of leadership in this space, going all the way back to Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, and 19th-century mathematical pioneer Ada Lovelace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/UK_Summit_Brauer.jpg\")
Dr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, spoke about the UK as a uniquely competitive AI marketplace<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe AI ecosystem continues to expand at speed, with worldwide investment forecast to rise by 44% to $35.7 billion this year. Dr. Brauer advised that the money will be wasted unless companies embrace the shifting culture, where corporate responsibility is no longer just about the shareholders, but must also include the workforce, the customers, and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Brauer said: \u201cIf you use AI just to exploit customers and sell more widgets, you are doing it wrong. Ultimately consumers don\u2019t take away efficiency, they take away values. You have to put people at the heart of your AI strategy because only by establishing a solid foundation of values can companies fully harness the value of AI. Have you accurately reflected customers\u2019 identity, or have you reached too far into the unknown?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies need to be accurate in their personalization, as 99.6% of respondents agreed, but it\u2019s equally important to be \u201cfree from creepiness,\u201d according to 99.1% of those questioned. If you master both these skills, 40.3% of consumers will return to your website, because the experience provides a sense of emotional engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA values-led approach is the only way to generate value,\u201d Dr. Brauer said. \u201cGet your values in order, integrate AI into your service, and merge them together into a single vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gen Z Data Exchange<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Facial recognition is now so good that Apple-owned Emotient can read crowds at an event, analyze the mix of gender, age, socio-economic group, and even mood, and then adjust ads on digital billboards to best target the audience in real-time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, sports audiences are predominantly male, but at half time, when men are more likely to buy a drink and use the bathroom, the audience can become up to 80% female, which is priceless information for advertisers looking for precision targeting of customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voice technology is still relatively nascent, but it\u2019s growing at a fast pace, especially in Asia: the Bank of China now handles up to two million customer \u201cconversations\u201d every day. Meanwhile, Samsung\u2019s Viv can write its own program on your phone to provide accurate answers to sophisticated queries like, \u201cWill it be warmer than 70 degrees at Golden Gate Bridge the day after tomorrow?\u201d So far she can only do it in American English, which is why Viv is not better known. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI is not just clever; it gives you a proven competitive advantage. Just ask Bd4, whose \u201cdigital empathy\u201d AI improved conversion rates on a travel site by 40%; or Nintendo, whose market value shot up by $8.5 billion in the two days after Pok\u00e9mon Go was launched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
AI\u2019s Role in Mobility and Dynamic Content <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAI is a big driver in mobility innovation, argued Mark Crosbie-Smith, Head of Product and Global Design at cab company Addison Lee, who shared his insights into London\u2019s new autonomous vehicle service, Endeavour, which is launching a pilot in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Crosbie-Smith revealed that Endeavour is using WordPress as a \u201cheadless\u201d Content Management System (CMS), (which separates the user head from the back end) to communicate with customers during the trial, partly because of its proven success with Addison Lee customers and on Samsung\u2019s global news app.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMark Crosbie-Smith, Head of Product and Global Design at cab company Addison Lee, shared insights into London\u2019s new autonomous vehicle service, Endeavour, which is launching a pilot in 2020.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe ability to create dynamic content throughout the customer journey is going to be really exciting,\u201d he said. \u201cI love using the WordPress CMS and, importantly, our content generators are familiar with it. Headless has an exciting future\u2014it\u2019s going to be a hell of a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Human Touch: Put People at the Heart of Your AI Strategy <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDr Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, discussed the \u201curgency\u201d of adopting AI in a study co-developed with WP Engine, which examines the best ways to build powerful digital experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite what he called the \u201cmindstorm\u201d of Brexit, Dr. Brauer said that the UK is a uniquely competitive AI marketplace, up there with the U.S. and China. The UK is number two in the world for AI readiness and number three for investment, plus it has a long history of leadership in this space, going all the way back to Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, and 19th-century mathematical pioneer Ada Lovelace. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, spoke about the UK as a uniquely competitive AI marketplace<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe AI ecosystem continues to expand at speed, with worldwide investment forecast to rise by 44% to $35.7 billion this year. Dr. Brauer advised that the money will be wasted unless companies embrace the shifting culture, where corporate responsibility is no longer just about the shareholders, but must also include the workforce, the customers, and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Brauer said: \u201cIf you use AI just to exploit customers and sell more widgets, you are doing it wrong. Ultimately consumers don\u2019t take away efficiency, they take away values. You have to put people at the heart of your AI strategy because only by establishing a solid foundation of values can companies fully harness the value of AI. Have you accurately reflected customers\u2019 identity, or have you reached too far into the unknown?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies need to be accurate in their personalization, as 99.6% of respondents agreed, but it\u2019s equally important to be \u201cfree from creepiness,\u201d according to 99.1% of those questioned. If you master both these skills, 40.3% of consumers will return to your website, because the experience provides a sense of emotional engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA values-led approach is the only way to generate value,\u201d Dr. Brauer said. \u201cGet your values in order, integrate AI into your service, and merge them together into a single vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gen Z Data Exchange<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe ability to create dynamic content throughout the customer journey is going to be really exciting,\u201d he said. \u201cI love using the WordPress CMS and, importantly, our content generators are familiar with it. Headless has an exciting future\u2014it\u2019s going to be a hell of a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Human Touch: Put People at the Heart of Your AI Strategy <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDr Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, discussed the \u201curgency\u201d of adopting AI in a study co-developed with WP Engine, which examines the best ways to build powerful digital experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite what he called the \u201cmindstorm\u201d of Brexit, Dr. Brauer said that the UK is a uniquely competitive AI marketplace, up there with the U.S. and China. The UK is number two in the world for AI readiness and number three for investment, plus it has a long history of leadership in this space, going all the way back to Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, and 19th-century mathematical pioneer Ada Lovelace. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at the University of London, spoke about the UK as a uniquely competitive AI marketplace<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe AI ecosystem continues to expand at speed, with worldwide investment forecast to rise by 44% to $35.7 billion this year. Dr. Brauer advised that the money will be wasted unless companies embrace the shifting culture, where corporate responsibility is no longer just about the shareholders, but must also include the workforce, the customers, and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Brauer said: \u201cIf you use AI just to exploit customers and sell more widgets, you are doing it wrong. Ultimately consumers don\u2019t take away efficiency, they take away values. You have to put people at the heart of your AI strategy because only by establishing a solid foundation of values can companies fully harness the value of AI. Have you accurately reflected customers\u2019 identity, or have you reached too far into the unknown?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies need to be accurate in their personalization, as 99.6% of respondents agreed, but it\u2019s equally important to be \u201cfree from creepiness,\u201d according to 99.1% of those questioned. If you master both these skills, 40.3% of consumers will return to your website, because the experience provides a sense of emotional engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA values-led approach is the only way to generate value,\u201d Dr. Brauer said. \u201cGet your values in order, integrate AI into your service, and merge them together into a single vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gen Z Data Exchange<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The AI ecosystem continues to expand at speed, with worldwide investment forecast to rise by 44% to $35.7 billion this year. Dr. Brauer advised that the money will be wasted unless companies embrace the shifting culture, where corporate responsibility is no longer just about the shareholders, but must also include the workforce, the customers, and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Brauer said: \u201cIf you use AI just to exploit customers and sell more widgets, you are doing it wrong. Ultimately consumers don\u2019t take away efficiency, they take away values. You have to put people at the heart of your AI strategy because only by establishing a solid foundation of values can companies fully harness the value of AI. Have you accurately reflected customers\u2019 identity, or have you reached too far into the unknown?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companies need to be accurate in their personalization, as 99.6% of respondents agreed, but it\u2019s equally important to be \u201cfree from creepiness,\u201d according to 99.1% of those questioned. If you master both these skills, 40.3% of consumers will return to your website, because the experience provides a sense of emotional engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA values-led approach is the only way to generate value,\u201d Dr. Brauer said. \u201cGet your values in order, integrate AI into your service, and merge them together into a single vision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/UK_Summit_MED-1024x683.jpg\")