The rise of agents, the affordability shift, and next gen AI videos
AI is no longer optional. Businesses integrating AI into their marketing operations are posed to gain efficiency, cost savings, and competitive advantage.
As always, this was a busy week for AI developments. However, certain things are crystal clear.
AI is no longer just a tool—it’s becoming an active operator in business workflows.
The rise of autonomous agents like OpenAI’s Operator and Convergence’s Proxy means AI can now execute tasks, not just suggest them. For SMBs, this is a game-changer: routine operations like data entry, scheduling, and lead generation can be delegated, freeing up time for strategy and growth.
AI is becoming both more powerful and more affordable.
Microsoft’s “Think Deeper” Copilot upgrade and OpenAI’s cost-efficient o3-mini signal the affordability shift. This means SMBs can now leverage enterprise-grade AI capabilities without enterprise budgets. Whether automating customer inquiries, optimizing marketing strategies, or enhancing sales outreach, AI is leveling the playing field.
Content creation is multi-modal now, thanks to new AI tools.
DeepSeek’s Janus Pro and (eventually) ByteDance’s OmniHuman are reshaping content creation. AI-generated images, videos, and voice content are becoming indistinguishable from human-produced media, making high-quality marketing materials accessible to everyone. SMBs can now compete with larger brands in digital storytelling without expensive production teams.
AI isn’t just about automation—it’s transforming decision-making.
AI-powered analytics can now sift through massive datasets, extracting actionable insights that help businesses make smarter, data-driven decisions. Tools like Nowadays and Falcon AI show that even high-touch tasks, from event planning to content moderation, can be streamlined.
AI is no longer optional. Businesses integrating AI into their marketing operations are posed to gain efficiency, cost savings, and competitive advantage. Those who delay risk falling behind. We can help you identify the right AI strategies tailored to your business needs if you’re unsure where to start. The AI-driven future is here—let’s make sure you’re ready for it.
OpenAI’s Operator: A Glimpse of Autonomous Agents
OpenAI made waves with the early preview of Operator, one of its first truly autonomous AI agents. Unlike a standard chatbot that only outputs text, Operator can take actions online on your behalf. It uses a “computer-using agent” model, meaning it can navigate websites through a browser, click links, fill forms, and execute tasks like a human would. In other words, you can give Operator a high-level task – “book my team’s flights to the LA conference” or “order office snacks for next week” – and it will handle the web browsing and form-filling necessary to get it done. If it hits a snag or needs sensitive info (like a payment), it hands control back to you to confirm. Currently, Operator is only available to U.S. users on ChatGPT’s $200/month Pro tier, but OpenAI plans to expand it to broader plans and eventually the free version.
Why it matters:
This is a peek into the future of “AI agents” doing repetitive digital chores. Marketers could eventually use Operator to pull weekly web analytics reports or update campaign dashboards across different sites automatically. Sales reps might have it scour several websites for lead information or fill out CRM forms. Customer support teams could offload routine web-based tasks (like checking order statuses across systems) to an agent. Keep an eye on Operator – while it’s in early days, its ability to “take control of a web browser and perform tasks for you” signals a coming era of hands-free automation for all those little tasks that eat up your time.
