Must Read | Engaging with AI Potential AI Benefits For Distributors Like their supplier counterparts, 81% of PPAI 100 distributors are prioritizing AI to increase operational efficiency, and 78% aim to use AI to improve customer experience. “In terms of operational support, we have already used AI tools to help write API integrations and manipulate data sets,” Leslie says. “These have been one-off uses, though, and I look forward to continuing to learn more and explore how AI tools will be able to integrate into our regular workflow and streamline daily tasks.” Johanna Gottlieb, vice president of business development at Genumark, PPAI 100’s No. 35 distributor, sees the technology as a matter of making it a practice to continue to meet clients where they’re at, even as those clients become part of a generation that expects things that previous generations succeeded without. “Our buyers are living in the AI world,” Gottlieb says. “Many of us grew up in a Google era and AI is enhancing that times 100. Younger audiences will be the decision makers before we know it. We have to lean in to what they are doing and using so we can be better prepared to support them.” • Other goals for AI implementation amongst distributors are revenue growth (54%), cost reduction (43%) and innovating new products or services (19%). “These statistics align very closely with our AI perspective,” says Carolina Junghans, CEO of Blink Marketing, PPAI 100’s No. 88 distributor. “Our executive team is actually reading a couple books on AI in the workplace this quarter.” Nearly three quarters (74%) of distributors say AI has had no significant change in their workforce structure and nearly one-third (32%) say they’re still assessing its long-term impact. Furthermore, 44% have yet to see significant benefits from AI in terms of personalization. Gottlieb is skeptical of the report that so many distributors claim little change to their workforce as a result. “I would love to speak to the 73% of distributors that say AI has not led to any significant changes in workforce,” Gottlieb says. “I am curious how much this number will change over the next 2-5 years.” Corrigan is deputy editor and Auping is a news editor at PPAI. Johanna Gottlieb Layer on the Antwerp www.antwerpdiamondsincentives.com 36 • DECEMBER 2024 • PPAI
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