Welcome to another edition of the best damn newsletter in AI.

As a reminder, we’ve opened up Reader Questions. Our mission is to make using AI accessible to every business, and a huge part of that is making sure you’re not stuck and that we continue answering diverse questions. So, submit your question here. We’ll review every single one and cover answers here in the newsletter.

Here's what we're covering today:

• 5 industry takes on whether AI is ruining outbound sales or enhancing it.

• Announcing the 2024 State of AI in Agencies Report: Explore key trends, growth strategies, case studies, and predictions on AI's transformative impact on agency operations.

• Exploring AI-generated content’s impact on copyright issues and content authenticity.

Let’s get to it! 👇

TODAY’S PERSPECTIVE

5 Industry Takes on AI & Outbound Sales

If you run a business and spend time on LinkedIn, chances are you’ve seen the hot debate: has AI ruined outbound sales. 

Our team decided to dig in. So we spent the past month collecting industry perspectives and takes on the topic of AI and outbound sales, and today we’ll be reporting that sentiment. 

Here are the top 5 themes we’ve seen, along with some of the best voices making the arguments. 

Industry Take #1: The inbox was already ruined, AI made it worse

Adam Robinson talks about how the sales model is changing constantly on LinkedIn, and he echoed the sentiment we’ve heard a lot. The methods that used to stand out in outbound – personalized and contextually aware outreach – are now table stakes since AI can do that for you. And what happens when things become easy? Everyone can do it so they stop working as well. 

Industry Take #2: AI can do the SDR (sales research & outreach role) but it’ll be a while before it replaces the full sales process.

As Sahil Mansuri says it, ”we will get AI Doctors, Pilots, Finance, Engineers, Marketers (lol), Recruiters (double lol) before we ever see an AI Ent AE”.

Industry Take #3: There’s a such thing as too much personalization

Testing is the key to email outbound. And as Ashleigh Early puts it, using too much AI to personalize removes the ability to test and read data on how different messages are working. Ashleigh recommends sticking to <30% of your email personalized. 

Industry Take #4: In person sales and real networking will rise again.

In his predictions on the future of salespeople, Dale Dupree predicts most businesses will use AI in their outbound process, making the impact of the human touch even higher. And what better way to be human than to literally show up in person at your prospect’s door. 

Industry Take #5: Not all outbound is dead, just bad outbound.

Mark Kosoglow gives his take – that there’s 5 things you need for good outbound: share something unique and insightful, attract the prospect into the conversation, use multiple channels, assess companies against specific hypothesis, and write short emails.

What do you think?

Agree with these industry takes? Have your own? Email us back and we might include you in a future post!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Official Release: The 2024 State of AI in Agencies Report

We’re excited to announce that the 2024 State of AI in Agencies report is officially live! Created by The AI Exchange in partnership with DiviUp, this comprehensive report offers an in-depth look at how AI is transforming the agency landscape, driven by insights from industry leaders like you.

What’s Inside:

1. Key trends shaping the future of AI in agencies

2. Insights on AI-driven strategies for growth

3. Real-world case studies showcasing successful AI integration

4. Predictions on how AI will redefine agency operations

Why You Need This Report: Stay ahead of the curve by understanding how AI is set to revolutionize the way agencies operate, engage clients, and deliver value.

Get your copy of the 2024 State of AI in Agencies report

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this important research. We hope you find the insights as valuable as we do!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the findings in more detail, feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Cheers,

The AI Exchange Team

LINKS

For your reading list 📚

AI's role in content creation and copyright issues...

• Grammarly introduces a new tool to detect AI-generated content, aiming to foster productive discussions about AI's role in education.

• Meta and Universal Music Group tackle unauthorized AI-generated content, expanding their music licensing agreement to include AI systems.

• Artists score a major win in a copyright case against AI art generators, potentially setting a precedent for AI companies using similar models.

The impact of AI on the film industry and beyond...

• Filmmakers discuss the potential of AI in transforming the art of filmmaking, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and human connection.

• A study reveals that even the best AI models often generate inaccurate information, suggesting the need for better fact-checking and human oversight.

The dark side of AI: Deepfake scams...

• The rise of AI-generated deepfake scams is highlighted, with a focus on a case involving a fake Elon Musk video that led to significant financial loss.

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That's all!

We'll see you again soon! Thoughts, feedback and questions are much appreciated - respond here or shoot us a note at [email protected].

Cheers,

🪄 The AI Exchange Team