The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2023 and forward to next year.
We’re entering a post-convergence world where entirely new technologies are beginning to emerge.
2023 will be remembered as the year that AI entered stage right. When early adopters got a jump on their competitors, legislation played catch up, and the ethics of scraping content became a mainstream conversation.
There’s no doubt we’re at the beginning of the biggest technological disruption our generation will experience – in the ways we work, produce and consume information, and interact with content and data.
Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian writer and media theorist, posited in the 1970s that the first thing any new medium does (like the internet and web) is consume its predecessor’s content. We can see this applied with the overwhelming swathes of video, audio and copy we’re presented with each day – old content repurposed for a new medium.
What comes after is entirely different. It’s where things get interesting, disruptive, and destabilising as old and new mediums, and the content they contain, coalesce and give birth to something new.
The talent crisis isn't over yet, but the market is opening up with talent playing musical chairs after being locked into agencies during COVID. We’re also seeing greater interest from new overseas talent entering the market. There is a softening in government contracts which has added extra talent to the pool, with skilled people moving away from government-heavy agencies.
Keeping good talent of all ages requires everyone having a voice, a sense of purpose, and a pathway to learn, grow and excel in their field.
Flexible workplaces will remain attractive as they provide life balance during a time of uncertainty and inflation pressures. Ensuring businesses can maintain this flexibility without destroying culture will be next year’s priority topic.
We are heading into a period where people, businesses and governments are being destabilised by technology. Navigating issues of disinformation, misinformation, AI hallucinations, deep fakes, ethics, and copyright are complex and require understanding and action.
Ask yourself this: What happens when our service models, knowledge and expertise become a subscription-based commodity? How will you adapt your service model when a client can buy much of it on a $ 20-a-month software plan? There’s opportunity for the curious and brave.
Chris Dodds is Co-Founder and Managing Director Innovation & Growth, Icon Agency
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