The Junction

Days after we discussed Google's new AI Overview (SGE) feature, there's been news that it can provide false and misleading information. Some examples we've seen of these hallucinations are pretty wild, such as recommending how many rocks a person should eat per day or how to help cheese stick to pizza using non-toxic glue. Now that you've lost your appetite (and maybe a little bit of your confidence in AI), have no fear. It's important to remember artificial intelligence is still fairly new to us—which gives us even more of a reason to learn what to be cautious of and how to leverage it for good. In this episode, we dive into some interesting stories and give our takes on them, such as:• Airbnb's use of predictive AI to reduce disruptive parties during peak holidays• Elon Musk's $6 billion funding round for his AI company X.ai and his claim of achieving AGI by 2025• A predictive report stating that 50% of jobs could be replaced by AI by 2027***🌐 Resources: Article: Airbnb using AI to predict, block Memorial Day, July 4th parties in NJArticle: Google scrambles to manually remove weird AI answers in searchArticle: Top VC Kai-Fu Lee says his prediction that AI will displace 50% of jobs by 2027 is ‘uncannily accurate’Announcement: Elon Musk's xAI $6 billion funding roundX: Google's AI Overview Oopsie #1X: Google's AI Overview Oopsie #2📱Connect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasefriedman/📧 We want to hear your thoughts on the latest AI products coming to market. Reach out at thejunction@venntechnology.com. As always, keep it automated!

The way you reach your perspective buyers is changing because of AI. People are searching for what they need differently, and search engines like Google have already shaken up the SEO game with its new Search Generative Experience (SGE) concept.A recent study from Search Engine Land found that a number one ranked SERP could see a 20% drop in traffic (best case scenario) all the way up to a 64% drop (worst case scenario) due to Google's new AI search feature (SGE).This episode features Mel and special guest, Jacob Schmeichel, Product Marketing Manager at Venn. Jacob is an SEO enthusiast who's been following the latest trends in AI search, and he believes every marketer and business leader should be paying close attention.We dive into a ton of groundbreaking topics, including:Implications of AI on organic search traffic, content creation, and marketing strategiesEthical considerations around using AI in marketing and content productionShifting marketing strategies towards conversational, original contentConcerns around AI security and OpenAI's recent disband of its safety team***🌐 Resources: Search Engine Land: How Google SGE will impact your trafficHarvard Business Review: Marketing Is Dead (2012)Futurism: CNET's Article-Writing AI Is Already Publishing Very Dumb ErrorsBig Think: Why great AI produces lazy humans📱Connect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Jacob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-schmeichel-ab01b2186/📧 We want to hear your thoughts on the latest AI products coming to market. Reach out at thejunction@venntechnology.com. As always, keep it automated!

OpenAI made some pretty big waves this week after announcing the launch of its app with the latest ChatGPT updates—now offering interactive voice/text/video features.In this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase break down how OpenAI's product release will democratize access to powerful AI tools while gathering valuable training data. It's clear that OpenAI has proven their position against rivals like Google.We want to hear your thoughts on the latest AI products coming to market. Reach out at thejunction@venntechnology.com. As always, keep it automated!***Connect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasefriedman/

We're geeking out on this episode after an exciting week at Stripe Sessions 2024 🤩Mel and Chase share a recap of their experience during Stripe's annual conference last week. There was a lot of discussion around payment innovations, fraud protection, AI for customer personalization, and cryptocurrency 💳💰A big highlight of the week was getting to hear from guest speaker Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. He shared his vision for AGI (artificial general intelligence) and the possibilities of using a number of AI agents.We dive into a lot more this episode, including:Rumors of ChatGPT-2's comebackOpenAI's quiet releases - upping the # of files to upload to AI assistants and the new JSON format for structured data outputsAI & automation strategies in the payments and eCommerce space***Connect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasefriedman/Have questions or comments? Reach out to us at thejunction@venntechnology.com and as always, keep it automated!

This episode of “The Junction” hits a little closer to home than any of us white collar paper pushers would care to ponder.  Going back and forth between optimism and skepticism, Mel and Chase reflect on AI’s growing capabilities, the fear mongering in the tech journalism space and real life cases where AI is encroaching on jobs. What’s covered in this episode:A discussion on the complexities and nuances of taxes, both personal and corporate.An insightful conversation about the advances in AI and its distinctions from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).Examination of the impact of automation on business efficiencies and the potential threats to jobs.Analysis of funds flow and the financial mechanics in different sectors like Uber, Stripe.Deliberation on the future of AI and automation and their implications on broader economics and individual careers.Overview of the experiences with automated systems and debates on their effectiveness and capabilities.Resources:Realizing the potential: Transforming tax and finance operating models3 Ways AI can elevate your tax workflowsBEPS 2.0: Future of international tax and what it means for businessConnect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasefriedman/Have questions or comments? Reach out to us at thejunction@venntechnology.com and as always, keep it automated!

Unfortunately, as AI becomes more accessible, it provides a new avenue for scammers to target people in ways we've never seen before.In this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase dive into the vulnerabilities associated with voice and image cloning, and how hackers can exploit these techniques.You've likely heard of these scams before. A random phone number calls someone you know and when they answer, they hear the sound of YOUR voice. But it's not you—it's a someone who's stolen your voice using AI.There's a potential for these scamming techniques to increase, so today's episode highlights a few tools and resources that can help individuals and businesses safeguard their data and assets.Resources:How to use AI while protecting your privacy: https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-ai-tools-protect-privacy/How to keep AI from stealing your voice: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-keep-ai-from-stealing-the-sound-of-your-voice/#:~:text=AntiFake%2C%20on%20the%20other%20hand,voices%20from%20piracy%20and%20counterfeitingTools hackers are using: https://www.cisoplatform.com/profiles/blogs/dark-ai-top-7-ai-tools-assisting-hackersApplications discussed:AntiFake: https://sites.google.com/view/yu2023antifakeGlaze: https://glaze.cs.uchicago.edu/Snyk: https://snyk.io/Connect with us on LinkedIn:Mel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabell-b2bmarketer/Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasefriedman/Have a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

Are AI tools making us lazy and complacent?In this episode, Mel and Chase touch on the risks of over-reliance on AI assistance. Does our dependence on the technology outweigh the need for subject matter experts? This is a topic that comes up, especially when discussing the potential for job displacement.Additionally, this episode explores:• An update on Venn Technology's internal AI projects• Benefits & concerns of using AI to self-solve issues• Risks of AI voice replication being used for scams• Potential for an uptick of AI-developed misinformation to occur around holidays & events (April Fool's Day and the upcoming solar eclipse)Have a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

And we're back! We've got a lot of catching up to do—especially in this fast-paced world of AI & automation.In this episode, Mel and Chase tackle the latest news & trends:Sam Altman’s return to OpenAI & his take on AI handling “95% of marketing work” Personal & work use of Claude 3 and other AI chat modelsImplications of OpenAI's new video generation tool, SoraAI’s impact on jobs and access to knowledgeHave a question or topic you'd like to hear on the show? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

Did you miss us? The Junction is back with a bonus episode for now, but stay tuned for Season 2 of the show in the coming weeks!In this episode, Mel is joined by Venn Technology Founder & CEO, Scott Hollrah. Venn is an IT consulting firm that specializes in building integrations between systems, like cloud accounting platform Sage Intacct. A few weeks ago, the Venn Team sponsored Sage's annual Transform conference, where it was announced that an in-platform AI assistant called "Sage Copilot" is in development. Scott gives his take on what Sage customers can expect and the characteristics that make Sage Copilot so different from other AI chatbots.Plus, we dive into the latest news happening in the world of AI, including:American Airlines' plan to implement an AI structure for its customer serviceTurboTax and H&R Block's new AI features and the potential for automation to streamline tax preparationSubscription fatigue—how AI-add ons and tool subscriptions could become overwhelmingMel and Chase will be back very soon with a new season of The Junction. Until then, keep it automated 🚀

It’s hard to believe we’ve already wrapped up our first season of The Junction podcast with Mel & Chase! 2️⃣0️⃣ episodes & counting 🥳In our final episode of the year, we look back at the major highlights from 2023 in the world of artificial intelligence & automation.Additionally, we look ahead with our predictions for 2024, including topics like...AI companions and personal assistantsUse of AI to diagnose & treat mental illnessesAdvancements in healthcare technology & insightsGenerative AI for video editing, gaming, and moreAlthough it’s sometimes frightening, artificial intelligence is here to stay—which is even more reason to keep yourself up-to-speed. We hope you’ve enjoyed the show so far and continue to experiment with AI in and outside of the workplace. See you in the new year!P.S. Are you or someone you know passionate about AI? We’re lining up guests for next season, and we want to hear from you! Send us a message via email at thejunction@venntechnology.com to get a conversation started.

In this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase are joined by the podcast's first in-studio guest: Christopher Robbins from Lummus Technology.Chris shares how he and his company are exploring ways to utilize AI across the organization. He also advocates the importance for people to conduct their own testing of AI in and outside of work.This episode offers a fresh perspective on why AI will more likely assist people in their jobs rather than replace them. A few other topics we discuss:Adoption of AI tools in personal life vs. work lifeExperimenting with AI: using tools for personal tasks first before tackling complex work challengesUsing AI to write and improve code + the importance of keeping a human in the loopLeveraging Microsoft Power Platform tools to build workflows and applications👉 Interested in hearing more from Chris? Stay tuned for upcoming technology discussions on his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-robbins-pe/We're just one episode away from wrapping up our first season of the show! Have a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next season: thejunction@venntechnology.com

In this episode of The Junction, we speak with Jerrold Jackson, a long-time technologist, entrepreneur and advisor in the health and wellness industry. We discuss the current landscape and sentiment around generative AI models like ChatGPT, including recent events with OpenAI, Anthropic, and regulation.He provides his perspective on responsible and ethical ways companies can leverage AI/ML, such as keeping humans involved and being transparent about data sourcing and model choices. We talk about the modular architecture approach that allows swapping out components like language models as better options emerge.Other topics include:The current landscape and sentiment around generative AI modelsA shift from maximum consumption to responsible consumptionUsing AI for marketing copy versus high-stakes recommendationsSpeculation around recent AI advancementsWhether you’re an executive wanting to understand how AI can create competitive advantages, or an AI enthusiast wanting an insider’s view, this episode offers an insightful analysis of the technology powering innovations today.Stay “in the loop” with Jerrold where he publishes his writings on AI and keeping humans near the loop at www.jerroldjackson.com.

The Junction podcast hit a milestone—we had our very first guest on the show! 🥳In this episode, we’re joined by Justin Crawford, CEO of The Automation Company. Justin shares how he launched his career in marketing & RevOps automation—later starting his own full-service consulting agency.Today, The Automation Company is leveraging AI to quickly generate detailed and tailored project proposals to further personalize the client experience.Here’s a rundown on what we discuss in the episode:Personalizing sales outreach & account-based marketing with AIAutomating document creation with AI (ie. SOWs, project proposals)Improving lead & deal attribution with AIHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

Do you think AI will replace the “average” human?Recently, the CEO of OpenAI (creator of ChatGPT) stated that artificial intelligence is capable of performing the same job responsibilities of the “median human.”As bold of a statement that is, we think he’s pointing to the fact that AI is capable of performing repetitive, menial tasks. On the bright side, an employee’s job responsibilities could shift to something more engaging and freeing from manual work everyday.On this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase discuss:Learning to co-exist in a world of AIThe implications of automating jobs and skills becoming obsoleteLeveraging AI as a collaborative tools rather than a replacementMeasuring ROI and time savings when using AI to automate tasksHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

Does your company have an AI strategy yet?If you don’t already, we think forming an AI Committee is a great place to start.At Venn, team members from across departments and varying degrees of AI skill sets meet on a regular basis to brainstorm ways AI can propel our business forward.In this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase unpack:How to get teams involved in building your organization’s AI strategyRecommendations for AI committee activities and goal-settingRecent News: an AI-generated church sermon and Microsoft data exposure incidentHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

If AI can do our jobs, what’s left for us? 😟There’s a ton of doom and gloom in the news when it comes to AI. Like anything, it takes time for mass adoption of something new.We believe that artificial intelligence will become more prevalent in the workplace as time goes on. Now is a great time for everyone to learn how AI works so it can be leveraged properly.In this episode, Mel and Chase explore what human tasks AI can and can’t accomplish.Featured discussions this week:Examples of jobs AI can and can’t do on its ownIncreasing productivity with AI assistantsUsing AI to learn or even bypass advanced skillsets (ie. coding)Have a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

As organizations grow, it can be difficult to stay in touch with how employees are feeling.A lot of companies check the box by deploying annual surveys that are a mile long. Even worse, it takes time for employees to fill them out and even more time for leadership to act on the results.One of the ways we gauge the health of our time week-to-week is a simple pulse survey via Slack (which saves to the Resource Record in Salesforce).We ask: “How was your week?” with a drop down menu that includes the responses: Good, Meh, or Bad. This doesn’t replace regular manager check-ins and surveys designed to drill down into more specific initiatives (such employee satisfaction related to a new program or benefits, for example), but it gives our people a simple way to signal when something is off.Over time, it’s possible to use AI to quickly identify heightened times when employees are feeling stressed. With the help of such insights, leadership can have more progressive one-on-one conversations with their team.On this week’s episode, Mel and Chase explore:Automated employee engagement surveysUsing AI to analyze employee sentiment and identify areas to improve company cultureImportance of education and training before adopting new techHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

What do Zoom calls, Dungeons & Dragons, and travel guides all have in common? 🤔When Zoom announced a free new AI feature to generate call summaries, we had some questions. How will customer data be used to train the AI model?In this episode, Mel and Chase discuss the implications of Zoom's new solution, AI-related scams, and copyright concerns for AI artwork.Topics discussed in this episode:What to know about AI call summariesAI uniqueness versus human uniquenessTravel scammers using AI to generate fake guidebooks on AmazonDungeons and Dragons creators telling illustrators to stop using AI to generate artwork due to copyright concernsHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

Are you scared of AI? The creators of it are too 😬In this episode of The Junction, Mel and Chase talk about how AI can be used for good or evil. Plus, learn what AI developers are doing to practice responsible development and training of large language models.Featured in this episode:Anxieties AI developers have around the potential dangers of advanced systemsConstitutional AI - The idea of creating rules and principles that AI systems can followTraining AI systems and the role of human feedbackThe importance of setting guidelines around AI use in the workplaceHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com

If there’s anyone out there that could benefit from automation the most, it would be small teams. At Venn Technology, we work with small to medium-sized companies to implement automated workflows that save time and improve data accuracy.As a small business ourself, we’re in the same boat when it comes to narrowing down our processes and identifying where automation & AI can help.In this episode, Mel and Chase share how SMBs can begin building their automation strategy with additional assistance from AI tools.A few things we discuss:Steps for SMBs to start their AI/Automation journey (e.g. perfect processes before automating, identify repetitive & time-consuming tasks)Using automation to boost visibility and streamline workflowsLeveraging ChatGPT for quick assistance (e.g. crafting emails & outlines)The importance of leaning into your brand’s unique story and not relying on AIHave a question or topic on AI or automation that you want to learn more about? We’re all ears—literally 🎧Shoot us an email and let us know what we should talk about next: thejunction@venntechnology.com