This year, generative AI is set to redefine the marketing landscape, transforming digital experiences for technologists and consumers alike, as approximately 61.4% of marketing professionals have incorporated AI tools in their practices. The integration of generative AI into Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) will enable co-pilots, content generation, and chat-UX experiences, accompanied by innovative features for intellectual property protection. Plus, AI innovators have the prime opportunity to create a digitally inclusive environment across the web, building the right generative AI tools to address individuals who are systemically overlooked in technology.  As the industry adapts to a cookieless future, martech vendors must pivot towards first-party data collection strategies revolving around transparency. Here are the top trends that I believe will set the stage for a transformative 2024 marketing landscape.

How AI Can Transform Accessibility On- and Offline

According to the World Health Organization’s 2023 Disability fact sheet, approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, experience significant disability. This can range from people who experience color vision deficiency (CVD), individuals who experience speech disabilities, to people who experience other physical afflictions. Accessibility should matter to every marketing team because inclusive design practices should be the standard to enable all users to engage with media platforms, regardless of their abilities. Simultaneously, this will aid marketing teams to expand and retain consumers. Despite advancements in integrating AI for descriptive experiences to assist people with disabilities in seamlessly surfing the web, challenges persist and improvements must be made to create an inclusive web for all.

With the adoption of Generative AI, however, we now have the potential for powerful assistance tools, through features like alt texts, closed captioning, and accurate screen readers – this ensures that all users can access the web equally. Generative AI’s innovation has the potential to focus on those with disabilities, providing emerging tools to create a more accessible life.

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Beyond empowering people with disabilities, emerging AI-powered advancements and robust AI tools also support the B2B software sector itself, creating a more inclusive industry. The use of AI-powered assistive technologies can allow for task automation and streamline workflows which can open space to employing people who experience physical or cognitive disabilities. Consequently, these technological strides remove structural barriers and open up pathways for expanded employment opportunities within the B2B software industry, exemplifying a commitment to a future that is both more accessible and equitable.

Furthermore, effective language plays a vital role in the success of marketing strategies, particularly when leveraging generative AI for language translation. For example, OpenAI’s Sora, a text-to-video generative AI tool, offers the potential to create highly personalized video content, especially for use across various social media platforms. Capabilities like this enable the reach and impact of content, fostering more inclusive and personalized experiences for diverse and marginalized audiences. Although still in its beginning stages, AI-powered tools like this are set to revolutionize the way marketers engage with their audience and manage their content creation processes. As 46% of marketers look to invest in AI for content creation next year, it’s evident that prioritizing AI is not just a trend dominating news cycles, but can be used to catalyze real change regarding accessibility in the ever-evolving marketing sector.

How AI Can Transform the UX: DXPs Embracing AI

Looking ahead, generative AI advancements will dominate 2024, reshaping how users interact with technology across various platforms. This includes the transformative potential of DXPs embracing generative AI, introducing co-pilots, content generation, and chat-UX experiences. This shift will necessitate new functionalities to protect intellectual property and brand reputation while maintaining transparency in deploying digital experiences.

Examining from a consumer lens, as marketers continue to embrace AI innovation, it’s crucial for AI-driven user experiences to be useful conversational agents to create valuable, credible, and resourceful information. As we experiment with new generative AI features, we will adapt our behavior and develop new expectations of technology and transparency of how data is used. I predict that digital experience platforms (DXPs), in particular, will embrace generative AI to support the next generation of developers and marketers.

Moreover, marketers will need access to first-party data as we anticipate a cookieless future. All DXPs must support their customers with consent-based data collection and provide functionality to obtain consent. Marketing leaders must seek out data profiling strategies to collect essential customer data along their journey with the brand and incrementally gather more data as the customer’s interactions progress. Embracing advancements in generative AI tools can help marketers navigate challenges by streamlining data collection strategies, and enhancing the overall customer experience (CX).

In summary, 2024 has the potential to become a trailblazing year for user experiences, driven by AI innovation. The technological evolution taking place opens the doors for marketers to create new tools aimed at the inclusivity of all users, aligning with the industry’s shift toward a cookieless future. As emerging trends focus on addressing and emphasizing global accessibility and transparency, marketers are in a unique time of progress, redefining the landscape of marketing strategies for imminent success.

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