Chatbots are the customer-experience (CX) buzz technology of 2018, and there is no doubt that when implemented properly, they can improve CX for thousands of consumers, freeing up call centre staff to focus on higher-value conversations.

Mindshare and blockchain provider, Zilliqa, have partnered with MediaMath, Rubicon Project and Integral Ad Science to build a programmatic alliance on blockchain designed to address industry challenges in programmatic advertising.

​It’s not uncommon for a person to leave their house without their loyalty cards. It is also not unheard of for person to leave home without their phone. But no one has yet to leave their home without their face.

​AI-powered research, voice-based care instructions, ‘adjacent possible’ marketing principles, augmented reality on farms and eco-storytelling in immersive retail stores – they’re all in a day’s work for the innovation and digital team at The Woolmark Company.

Microsoft plans to pilot a blockchain-based digital ID platform that would allow users to control access to sensitive online information via an encrypted data hub.

Treasury Wine Estates is rolling out an augmented (AR) reality app portfolio for at least four of its wines globally after a US pilot across its 19 Crimes brand became one of its most successful marketing activations.

Cryptocurrency is the biggest game-changer to hit customer loyalty programs since the introduction of frequent flyer points more than 30 years ago.

The age of customer centricity is here, and as experience increasingly becomes the biggest driver of digital transformation and marketing strategy, 2018 will be about moving the customer relationship to an even deeper and more dynamic level of personalised engagement.

Blockchain is rapidly capturing the imagination of the business community, exploding beyond its origins underpinning Bitcoin to become the proposed solution to all manner of transaction-based processes. Now one entrepreneur is planning on using it as the basis for a service that will connect businesses seeking promotional and affiliation services with influencers.

Even when Tamara Dull is home on her own, she is never really alone. Throughout her house are scattered more than 100 home AI devices and controllers that help her do everything from monitor and control her environment to buy groceries.

It’s time to challenge the assumption marketers have sole responsibility for deciding what the voice of a brand sounds like, Google strategist, Sam Payne, claims.

For years, marketers have talked about brands as having personalities. Now they have the tools to bring those brands to life – virtually at least.

​Facial recognition promises to deliver a new era of personalised service at retailers and services providers – if only consumers could get past their fear of Big Brother.

Delivering customer insight without cognitive bias, adding value to the in-moment experience and building commercial value are just some of the ways financial services executives believe artificial intelligence is going to transform their sector.

Driverless cars will very likely save lives and reduce congestion. But for those of us enslaved to the daily commute, they might also mean the emancipation of countless minutes and hours spent stuck behind the wheel. So what will we do with our regained time, now that we are no longer distracted with the task of actually driving?

Sydney-based startup, Hyper Anna, has secured $16 million in funding to fuel a global rollout of 'Anna', a virtual data scientist that taps into business intelligence and delivers real-time insights based on natural language requests.

Google-owned Nest Labs, the US smart home giant, is launching into Australia, bringing an array of connected home offerings and services into the market as part of its first Asia Pacific country launch - and using iSelect as the conduit.

Artificial intelligence-powered CRM will deliver more than US$1.1 trillion in new GDP impact globally and $19 billion in increased revenue in Australia over the next five years, as well as create 800,000 net-new jobs worldwide, a new report claims.

​A new study of consumers across generations has found the majority would welcome brands using artificial intelligence to better inform and direct buying decisions.

Artificial intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of Things will place increasing pressure on job security, forcing companies to rethink the way they upskill staff and effectively manage talent, according to a panel of experts at ad:tech Sydney 2017.

It’s the end of Day 4 at SXSW and some clear trends are emerging from the variety of sessions, keynotes and exhibitions.