Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing technology, according to Michael Perry, customer growth marketing manager at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
“We like to say that artificial intelligence isn’t just the future, but it’s really what’s happening right now,” Perry said.
Perry, BC ’17 and a co-founder of Boston College’s Shea Center for Entrepreneurship, visited on Wednesday to share his experiences as a marketing strategist for late-stage startups and technology companies, including X, rag & bone, and Snapchat.
“Artificial general intelligence is the future that I think Meta and other platforms are trying to build for,” Perry said. “How do you start to use this technology to be closer to actual cognitive functions that allow you to complete more human capabilities?”
Perry distinguished two types of AI: one which has to do with AI performing complex paths that human intelligence would normally be able to do, and another, known as generative AI, which uses data patterns to create outputs.
All social media and entertainment apps have discovery algorithms that aim to feed consumers with content that they like. Meta uses this AI for its ad campaigns, Perry said.
“AI is also very important to growing our own ad revenue, in that businesses now are using our artificial intelligence products to streamline a lot of their own decision-making from the past, where you had to decide, ‘How much should I spend on my ad campaign?’” Perry said. “‘What’s the audience I want to reach?’”
Perry stressed that AI not only benefits consumers but businesses as well. He then segued to the workshop portion of the talk, inviting students to dream up a product and a plan of how to market it using Meta AI.
“You know, maybe we work in the beverage industry, or trying to sell healthy soft drinks to 18 to 24 year olds,” Perry said. “Our goal is to drive brand awareness. Just ask it, ‘Are you ready to go?’ And it should give you a response.”
Instantly, Meta AI generated logos, catchphrases, and Instagram Reels ideas for the students’ imaginary products. Students played around with asking Meta AI various questions about marketing and business insights. Through the workshop, Perry demonstrated that AI can be a useful tool for creators and influencers.
“You could ask AI to give you a brief outline of your objectives, one of the concepts you like, some of the key elements, and this will pretty much package it up for you,” Perry said.
Perry instructed students to ask Meta AI to create a marketing brief summarizing all of the information about their imaginary product. Multiple students said they were impressed by the program’s ability to not only generate advertising ideas but also craft persuasive and eloquent marketing briefs. Although AI can seem daunting at first, Perry encouraged students to perceive it as a creative companion.
“In the 10 minutes that we did this together, this may take someone’s entire day, if you’re a marketing manager,” Perry said.
