AI Frontier Models and the Future of Marketing

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world’s first artificial satellite, marking the beginning of the Space Race. This achievement shocked the world and spurred the United States to accelerate its space exploration efforts. The technological advancements required for space exploration were immense, involving breakthroughs in rocketry, communications, and materials science.

The political stakes were high, with both nations seeking to prove their dominance. For the U.S., the goal was not just to catch up but to surpass the Soviet Union. This led to significant investments in education, research, and infrastructure, epitomized by President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1961 declaration to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade.

The race culminated on July 20, 1969, when NASA’s Apollo 11 mission successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. Armstrong’s historic words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” symbolized the triumph of human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

The Space Race not only showcased the capabilities of the competing superpowers but also paved the way for numerous technological advancements that have since become integral to our daily lives, from satellite communications to advancements in computing.

I grew up fascinated by astronomy, space travel, and NASA, then in college I studied the Cold War and gained a far richer understanding of the dramatic history of time – far beyond what’s depicted in films like Apollo 13.

This historical backdrop provides a compelling analogy for understanding today’s frontier models in AI, which I’ve thought about a lot recently, illustrating how fierce competition and high stakes can drive remarkable technological progress and innovation.

Today I’d like to help you understand what all of these frontier models are, what the term even means, and most importantly – why you should even care as a marketer!

Just getting started in applying AI to your marketing efforts? Start Here:
AI Marketing Primer: A Comprehensive Guide for Marketers

Why Marketers Should Know About Frontier Models

As marketers, staying ahead of technological advancements is crucial, and frontier models in AI are where the industry is headed. Think of these advanced AI systems as the new frontier in the marketing landscape, much like the Space Race was for technological and political supremacy. By understanding and leveraging these cutting-edge tools, you can gain a competitive edge, enhance efficiency, and derive deeper insights into customer behavior.

Frontier models can automate complex tasks, saving valuable time and resources. They can analyze massive amounts of data, providing you with actionable insights that can drive more effective targeting and personalization. In essence, they enable you to work smarter, not harder. Imagine having a tool that can predict trends, forecast consumer behavior, and generate high-quality content at scale. That’s the power of frontier AI models.

What Are Frontier Models?

Frontier models are the most advanced AI systems in development today. These models push the boundaries of what AI can achieve, much like how the U.S. and USSR pushed technological limits during the Space Race. They’re called “frontier” because they represent the cutting edge of AI research and development, continuously expanding the frontiers of what’s possible with technology.

These models often involve billions or even trillions of parameters, making them incredibly powerful and versatile. They use state-of-the-art techniques in machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision. For example, GPT-4 by OpenAI and PaLM by Google are frontier models known for their advanced capabilities in understanding and generating human-like text.

Key Terms to Understand:

Large Language Model (LLM): A type of AI model trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human language. These models are the backbone of many frontier AI systems.

Context Window: The amount of text that an AI model can consider at once when generating a response. A larger context window allows the model to understand and generate more coherent and contextually relevant outputs.

Tokens: The individual pieces of text that an AI model processes. Words and phrases are broken down into tokens, which the model uses to understand and generate language.

While I purposely will avoid spending too much time on my podcast or in this newsletter talking about each week’s advancements in AI, or how (or why) these frontier models are pushing relentlessly toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), I’ll make a point to diverge from pure marketing strategies, tactics and tools now and then to help ensure you have a baseline understanding.

Current AI Frontier Models

Here’s a rundown of the leading frontier models, organized by the companies that are building them:

OpenAI

• ChatGPT
• Current Version: GPT-4
• Key Individuals: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman
• Capabilities: Advanced natural language processing, text generation, translation, summarization.
• Applications: Content creation, customer support, research assistance.
• Observations: Known for its ability to generate human-like text and perform complex language tasks.

Google

• Gemini
• Current Version: Gemini 1.5 Ultra
• Key Individuals: Demis Hassabis, Mustafa Suleyman
• Capabilities: Combining DeepMind’s AI research with Google’s language models for enhanced performance.
• Applications: Research, complex problem-solving, strategic planning.
• Observations: Known for its advanced problem-solving abilities and integration of deep learning techniques.

Meta

• LLaMA
• Current Version: LLaMA 3.1
• Key Individuals: Yann LeCun, Joelle Pineau
• Capabilities: Natural language processing, social media analysis.
• Applications: Customer insights, trend analysis, personalized marketing.
• Observations: Effective in analyzing social media data and providing insights for marketing strategies.

Anthropic

• Claude
• Current Version: Claude 3.5 Sonnet
• Key Individuals: Dario Amodei, Daniela Amodei
• Capabilities: Ethical AI with safety-focused design, advanced conversational abilities.
• Applications: Safe AI deployment in various sectors, from finance to healthcare.
• Observations: Prioritizes ethical considerations and safety in AI interactions.

xAI

• Grok
• Current Version: Grok-1.5
• Key Individuals: Elon Musk, Igor Babuschkin
• Capabilities: Embedded within X for enhanced user interaction and functionality.
• Applications: Social media engagement, content generation, user support.
• Observations: Designed to improve social media interactions and user engagement on the X platform.

Perplexity

• Perplexity AI
• Current Version: Perplexity AI (based on GPT 4)
• Key Individuals: Aravind Srinivas
• Capabilities: Contextual understanding, natural language processing, Q&A systems
• Applications: Customer service, educational tools, content generation
• Observations: Focused on delivering precise answers and enhancing user interactions

Mistral

• Mistral AI
• Current Version: Mistral Large 2
• Key Individuals: Arthur Mensch, Guillaume Lample
• Capabilities: Compact and efficient language processing, multilingual capabilities
• Applications: Translation, content summarization, multilingual support
• Observations: Known for its efficiency and effectiveness in handling multiple languages

While you will not need to use or know everything about all of these models, it’s critical that you have a base understanding that they exist, where they’re going with their development, and spend time getting acclimated with at least one of them.