This episode covers key insights from Ryan at AI For B2B Marketers’ list of essential AI books for B2B marketing leaders. It highlights why deeply understanding and strategically applying AI is critical to staying competitive and leading through change.
Key Themes:
AI Adoption Is Non-Negotiable
AI is redefining how marketing operates—speed, scale, and engagement.
B2B marketing leaders must embrace AI to stay relevant, grow market share, and lead teams through disruption.
The recommended books offer sharp strategies and practical playbooks for AI-driven marketing transformation.
Separating AI Hype from Reality
It’s crucial to spot “AI snake oil” and avoid hype traps.
Books like AI Snake Oil help marketers make smarter investment decisions by understanding AI’s real capabilities and limits.
Human-AI Collaboration (Co-Intelligence)
AI is not here to replace humans but to amplify our strengths.
Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence rewrites the AI narrative into one of partnership.
Human + Machine shows how human intuition combined with AI creates powerful new workflows and innovation.
Strategic AI Implementation and Change Management
Successful AI adoption requires more than tools; it demands leadership, planning, and culture change.
The AI Marketing Canvas provides a step-by-step roadmap to embed AI strategically.
Classic change management books like Leading Change and Switch guide leaders on overcoming resistance and making AI stick.
Practical AI Applications in Marketing
AI can revamp workflows, automate tedious tasks, and uncover new customer insights.
Marketing Artificial Intelligence is a practical guide for marketers to apply AI effectively and demystify the technology.
Critical Considerations: Ethics, Risks, and Training
Fraud risks are rising with generative AI enabling deepfake scams and brand impersonations—marketers must add fraud prevention to their toolkits.
Ethical issues around AI’s societal impact require thoughtful strategies, as explored in The Coming Wave.
Investing in AI tools alone isn’t enough; teams need proper training to unlock real ROI.
AI is changing the rules of marketing, but success depends on leadership, critical thinking, and collaboration between humans and machines. These books provide essential knowledge to navigate this evolving landscape.
What AI books or resources have influenced your marketing strategy? How are you balancing AI adoption with ethical and practical concerns? Share your experiences and thoughts.
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🗞️ AI News You Can Use!
5 stories shaping the future of AI and what they mean for your business.
1. Fraud Alert: GenAI Powers Scammers, Raising Risks
Not all AI news is sunny. Fraudsters are using generative AI to clone brands, fake job listings, and launch phishing scams with deepfake tech. Small biz owners are struggling to block these sophisticated attacks. The takeaway? Marketing teams need to add fraud prevention and digital trust into their playbooks.
2. Lifewire Warns: AI Tools Don’t Work Without Trained Teams
A new report reveals marketers are splashing more cash on AI tools, but many teams aren’t trained enough to use them right—it’s like giving someone a Ferrari without driving lessons. To really get the ROI, companies are being urged to invest in AI skills, not just software.
3. AWS Rolls Out “Nova” for Cost-effective GenAI Adoption
AWS debuted Nova, a streamlined generative AI suite designed to be affordable and easy for businesses. It tackles text, images, and video with built-in watermarking to avoid misuse. A solid option if you're eyeing GenAI but worried about costs and compliance.
4. AI Avatars Now Outsell Human Influencers in China
Chinese live streamer Luo Yonghao ran a $7.5M shopping event using an AI version of himself, powered by Baidu’s ERNIE model. The avatar outperformed Luo’s previous human-hosted events—within 30 minutes.
5. Midjourney Enters Video Game
Midjourney’s new video mode lets users animate prompts for the first time. There’s no sound yet—just visuals—but it’s a playful upgrade to what was already one of the most addictive image generators around.
Bonus news you can use because this blew my mind:
YouTube Shorts Now Consume 1% of Human Waking Hours
YouTube Shorts are now clocking 10 minutes per day per person globally about 1% of all waking human time. Add long-form, and YouTube now owns over 2% of global attention.
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