Mike's Industry View - Issue #123
AI / Creativity / Voice
Forbes is building more AI tools for its reporters
Forbes is investing in tools to make its newsroom more bionic.
Never mind killer robots—here are six real AI dangers to watch out for in 2019 — www.technologyreview.com
Six controversies from 2018 stand out as warnings that even the smartest AI algorithms can misbehave, or that carelessly applying them can have dire consequences.
Despite holiday gains, the future of voice is uncertain — econsultancy.com Voice emerged as one of the most important trends of 2018. But despite the possibility that voice could soon be near-ubiquitous, many questions remain about the shape of its impacts.
Business/Marketing/Adv
Mastercard Evolves Its Brand Mark by Dropping its Name — newsroom.mastercard.com
Digital payment company adapts to a digital environment in a move to become a "Symbol Brand".
Spotify will now let brands sponsor its Discover Weekly playlist — techcrunch.com
It believes many advertisers will be interested in this opportunity due to the playlist’s ability to reach heavily engaged Spotify users, and because it allows advertisers to “own the personalized listening experience” on Spotify.
Interestingness
Blippar: true innovation is about insight and honesty as much as investment — www.thedrum.com There have been lots of words written about the demise of Blippar over the last few days and in writing mine, I am perhaps merely adding another uninvited observer’s point of view into the mix.
Greggs: How to Launch a Vegan Sausage Roll — www.brandwatch.com Here's how Greggs, a nationwide chain of bakeries in the UK, launched a vegan sausage roll to massive media coverage, outrage, and celebration.
Platform News
How Instagram has been good for independent bookstores like Books Are Magic and the Last Bookstore — www.vox.com Bookstores are benefiting from love on #bookstagram.