The Next Wave of Business Growth Won’t Come From AI Software Alone. It Will Reshape Real
The Next Wave of Business Growth Won’t Come From AI Software Alone. It Will Reshape Real-World Operations
The early AI era is over. The established AI “brain” is about to get a “body.”
EXPERT OPINION BY JOEL COMM, AUTHOR AND SPEAKER @JOELCOMM
I’ve watched wave after wave of technology emerge, form, and then be replaced. Each time, there’s a progression I’ve noticed. The initial focus is on software. It isn’t until later that you start to see more practical, fleshed-out applications emerge.
Artificial intelligence is no different. We’ve had a few years now of “bigger, better AI models.” But talking to an LLM is already an old experience (and in many ways, it’s not enough). There is a new wave of innovation coming that will push the boundaries of AI beyond software.
I can already see signs of a new shift. Many of the biggest opportunities for driving revenue and gaining a competitive edge are emerging at the intersection of AI software, logistics, and infrastructure. For forward-thinking brands, this means moving past mere automation and leveraging AI-powered solutions for real-world operations that scale business growth.
Turn customer insights into growth
Customer behavior is becoming more complex, making it increasingly difficult to know which marketing messages, website experiences and content will drive conversions. Fortunately, AI is helping businesses surface insights that would be nearly impossible to uncover manually. Marketing teams can use data to better understand customer behavior, identify opportunities for improvement and make faster, more informed decisions.
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AI can analyze how visitors interact with websites, campaigns and digital content, revealing patterns that help marketers improve engagement and conversions. Platforms like Optimizely combine experimentation, personalization and AI-powered insights to help teams test ideas, optimize digital experiences and deliver more relevant content to different audiences. Instead of making broad changes and hoping they work, businesses can continuously learn what resonates and refine their approach over time.
Even if you’re not using an enterprise experimentation platform, the takeaway is the same: make testing a regular part of your marketing strategy. A/B testing can be implemented anywhere from email campaigns, social posts, or CTA placements on your website. Small adjustments could produce big results. Start by measuring how customers engage with your website, test one meaningful change at a time and use the results to guide future decisions.
Maximizing revenue beyond the checkout page
One of the most practical ways I’ve seen AI used in real-world scenarios is with business operations after the point of sale. This is critical retention territory, and it’s notorious for being a mixed bag for customer lifetime value. The obvious AI improvement here is chatbots that actually work to save a sale. They can carry on a conversation, provide nuanced answers, that kind of stuff.
Source: www.inc.com
