After reading this article, you’ll:

• Recognize the transformative power of AI in modern business and the specific advantages it offers to mid-sized companies, equipping you with the knowledge to make informed decisions.
• Be equipped with a step-by-step roadmap to seamlessly integrate AI into your business operations, ensuring optimal returns and enhanced operational efficiency.
• Appreciate the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the AI-driven era, empowering you to stay ahead of the curve and maintain a competitive edge in your industry

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged from the realm of science fiction to become a transformative force in almost every industry. From healthcare and finance to retail and manufacturing, AI is reshaping the way businesses operate, compete, and cater to their customers. Beyond merely automating routine tasks, AI technologies offer deeper insights, smarter decisions, and enhanced user experiences, thereby positioning businesses for better growth and competitiveness.

This shift is not limited to large corporations with immense budgets. Today, with the democratization of technology and the availability of AI tools and platforms, businesses of all sizes have the potential to harness the power of AI. It’s no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ and ‘how’ businesses should integrate AI to remain relevant and efficient in this fast-evolving digital era.

The Potential of AI for Mid-sized Companies

Mid-sized companies often find themselves in a unique position. They possess greater agility compared to larger corporations but have more resources than small startups. This balance allows them to innovate and adapt with relative speed, making them prime candidates to benefit from AI implementations.

For mid-sized companies, AI offers a range of possibilities:

• Scalability: AI can help these companies scale their operations without proportionally increasing their costs.
• Personalization: With AI, mid-sized businesses can offer personalized experiences to their customers, once a luxury only the giants could afford.
• Decision Making: Predictive analytics can help in making data-driven decisions, optimizing operations, and anticipating market shifts.
• Innovation: AI opens the door to new product and service offerings, or enhancing existing ones, setting the business apart from competitors.

Understanding AI: Basics for Business Owners

Definition and Types of AI

At its core, Artificial Intelligence refers to machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. This encompasses a wide range of capabilities, from recognizing patterns and processing large datasets to understanding and generating human-like speech.

Some key types of AI include:

• Machine Learning (ML): A subset of AI where systems learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. It’s the backbone of many applications we use daily, from recommendation engines to fraud detection.
• Deep Learning: A subfield of ML, it uses neural networks to analyze various factors of data. It’s crucial in complex tasks like image and speech recognition.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): This focuses on the interaction between computers and humans. Chatbots and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are prime examples.

How AI Can Revolutionize Business Operations, Sales, and Customer Service

AI’s transformative power is evident across multiple business domains:

• Operations: AI can streamline operations, optimize supply chains, and predict maintenance needs, reducing downtimes.
• Sales: Predictive analytics can identify potential leads, forecast sales, and optimize pricing strategies in real-time.
• Customer Service: Chatbots and virtual assistants can handle customer queries round the clock, offering instant support. Moreover, AI can analyze customer feedback to continually improve products and services.

In essence, for the proactive business owner, AI is not just a tool but a strategic partner, ready to unlock unprecedented growth and success.

Benefits of AI for Mid-sized Companies

Enhancing Customer Experience Through Personalization

One of the standout advantages of AI is its ability to personalize experiences for consumers. By analyzing data on user behaviors, preferences, and histories, AI-driven systems can deliver tailor-made content, product recommendations, and marketing messages. For mid-sized companies, this means more engaged customers and higher conversion rates. Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all solution, businesses can now cater to each customer as an individual, fostering loyalty and repeat business.

Improving Business Efficiency with Automation

Routine tasks and processes that once consumed hours of human effort can now be automated with AI, leading to significant time and cost savings. From managing inventory to handling customer inquiries, AI-driven automation ensures processes run smoothly and consistently. For mid-sized businesses with limited resources, this means being able to focus more on core business objectives, innovation, and growth, rather than getting bogged down with repetitive tasks.

Gaining Competitive Advantage with Predictive Analytics

In today’s fast-paced market, foresight is invaluable. Predictive analytics, powered by AI, allows businesses to anticipate market trends, customer needs, and potential challenges. This forward-looking approach enables mid-sized companies to be proactive rather than reactive, strategically positioning themselves for success, seizing opportunities, and mitigating risks before they escalate.

Reducing Operational Costs and Human Errors

Mistakes are a natural part of business, but they can be costly. AI systems, with their consistent performance and ability to handle vast amounts of data, significantly reduce the margin of error in operations. Furthermore, with automation and efficiency improvements, operational costs can be curtailed. For mid-sized businesses operating within tight margins, these savings can be reinvested for growth and expansion.

Challenges in Implementing AI

Financial Considerations and ROI

While AI offers a plethora of benefits, its implementation is not without costs. Developing or integrating AI solutions requires an upfront investment in technology, training, and possibly new hires. For mid-sized businesses, it’s crucial to evaluate the potential return on investment (ROI) and ensure that the long-term benefits will outweigh the initial expenses.

Technical Challenges and the Importance of Data

AI thrives on data. However, collecting, managing, and processing this data can pose technical challenges. It’s not just about quantity; the quality and relevance of data are paramount for effective AI systems. Moreover, mid-sized businesses might need to upgrade their existing infrastructure or invest in new platforms to accommodate AI integrations.

Ethical Considerations: Bias in AI and Data Privacy

AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on. If this data contains biases, the AI system will inadvertently perpetuate them. Ethical considerations around ensuring fairness, transparency, and eliminating biases are critical. Additionally, with increased data collection comes the responsibility of ensuring data privacy and complying with regulations, which can be especially challenging for businesses entering the AI domain for the first time.

The Learning Curve and Potential Resistance from Employees

Introducing AI can lead to significant changes in how a business operates. Employees might face a steep learning curve, and there can be resistance due to fears of job displacement or mistrust of the technology. It’s essential for business leaders to manage this change proactively, offering training and emphasizing the supportive role of AI, rather than viewing it as a replacement.

As with any transformative technology, the road to AI integration is filled with both opportunities and challenges. For mid-sized businesses willing to navigate these waters, the potential rewards in terms of growth, efficiency, and competitiveness are immense.

Incorporating AI into App Development

The Rise of AI-powered Apps and Their Relevance for Mid-sized Businesses

The mobile app landscape is undergoing a seismic shift with the integration of AI technologies. No longer are apps mere tools for specific tasks; they’re becoming increasingly intelligent, adapting to user behaviors, and offering personalized experiences. For mid-sized businesses, AI-powered apps represent an opportunity to engage customers like never before, optimize operations, and glean insights from data that were previously inaccessible or too vast to analyze manually.

How AI Can Enhance App Functionality

• Personalized User Experiences: By understanding user preferences, behaviors, and interaction histories, AI can tailor app content and features to individual users. Whether it’s a shopping app that suggests products based on past purchases or a news app that curates articles based on reading habits, personalization boosts user engagement and satisfaction.
• Predictive Analytics for User Behavior: With AI, apps can predict future user actions based on past behaviors. This capability allows businesses to anticipate user needs, optimize marketing strategies, and improve user retention. For instance, if an e-commerce app predicts a user is likely to abandon their cart, it might offer a timely discount or reminder.
• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants: Integrating AI-driven chatbots or virtual assistants into apps enhances user support without the need for human intervention 24/7. These bots can answer queries, guide users, and even facilitate transactions, making the user’s journey smoother.
• Real-time Data Analysis and Insights: AI allows apps to analyze data in real-time, offering immediate insights. For example, a financial app can provide real-time spending analyses, or a fitness app can offer workout suggestions based on the user’s current physical stats and goals.

Considerations When Developing an AI-powered App

• Choosing the Right Platform and Tools: The foundation of an effective AI-powered app lies in selecting the appropriate development platform and tools. Depending on the app’s requirements, businesses might opt for cloud-based AI services, dedicated AI frameworks, or custom solutions.
• Data Collection and Management: For AI to function effectively, it requires a steady stream of high-quality data. This necessitates robust data collection mechanisms within the app and effective data management practices to ensure data is clean, relevant, and ready for analysis.
• Ensuring App Security and User Privacy: As AI apps handle vast amounts of user data, security and privacy become paramount. It’s crucial to implement robust encryption methods, ensure data storage complies with regulations, and maintain transparency with users about how their data is used.

AI’s integration into app development marks a new era of intelligent, adaptive, and user-centric applications. For mid-sized businesses, it’s an opportunity to deepen customer engagement, optimize operations, and gain a competitive edge in the market. However, with great power comes great responsibility—ensuring ethical data use, prioritizing security, and maintaining user trust should be at the forefront of any AI app development endeavor.

Steps to Implementing AI in Your Business

1. Evaluating the Need and Potential ROI of AI for Your Specific Business

Before diving headfirst into the world of AI, it’s imperative for businesses to conduct a thorough assessment of their needs. Start by identifying pain points, inefficiencies, or areas that could benefit from automation and intelligence. Once these areas are pinpointed, businesses can then analyze the potential return on investment (ROI) of implementing AI solutions. This involves weighing the costs of AI adoption against expected benefits like increased efficiency, improved customer experience, or revenue growth.

2. Choosing the Right AI Tools and Platforms Tailored for Mid-sized Companies

Not all AI solutions are created equal, and what works for a multinational corporation might not be suitable for a mid-sized company. It’s essential to research and select AI tools and platforms that align with your company’s specific needs, budget, and capabilities. Whether it’s off-the-shelf AI software, cloud-based AI services, or custom-built solutions, make sure they resonate with your business objectives.

3. Training and Development: Upskilling Your Team

AI adoption isn’t just about the technology; it’s also about the people who will use it. As AI systems become integrated into daily operations, your team needs to understand how to utilize these tools effectively. This may involve formal training sessions, workshops, or even hiring new staff with AI expertise. Remember, a tool is only as good as the person wielding it.

4. Continuous Monitoring, Testing, and Iterating

AI implementation isn’t a one-time activity. As your business evolves, so will your AI needs. Regularly monitor the performance of your AI solutions, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments. This iterative process ensures that your AI systems remain aligned with business goals and continue delivering optimal results.

For mid-sized companies, the AI wave represents both a challenge and an opportunity. While integrating AI may seem daunting, the potential benefits in terms of efficiency, growth, and competitiveness are immense. By proactively embracing AI, mid-sized businesses can not only level the playing field with larger competitors but also carve out their own niche of innovation and excellence.

In late July, (now) ex-Google employee Blake Lemoine discovered something truly remarkable—self aware AI, or so he thought. For those of you who missed it, Blake Lemonie shattered headlines last month when he stated that one the Google AI systems that he was testing showed human-like consciousness. This radical discovery, of course, ignited conversation amongst AI experts as well as executive officials at Google. 

 As a dedicated artificial intelligence app developer with a presence in Seattle, we’re committed to staying one step ahead of development in the AI space. And as things heat up regarding AI showing signs of sentience, we’re committed to staying on top of the story.

Who is Blake Lemoine?

Blake is a computer scientist who recently held a Senior Software Engineer title at Google. He notes that his work focuses on ground breaking theory and turning that theory into end user solutions and has dedicated the last seven years of his life to learning both the fundamentals of software development and the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. 

Until losing his position at Google over the recent controversy, Lemoine was the technical lead for metrics and analysis for the Google Search Feed (formerly Google Now).

What Exactly did Blake Lemoine Find?

Blake Lemoine made this earth-shattering discovery while working for Google’s Responsible AI team. This branch of Google’s larger AI initiative is dedicated to using AI to identify hate speech, with the aim to create more equitable, safe online communities. In running a series of basic AI-tests to validate an AI’s capability to respond to general questions, Lemoine found Google’s Lamda showed self-awareness and could hold conversations about religion, emotions and fears—something the developers never prepared for.

This strange, yet profound finding led Mr Lemoine to believe that behind its impressive verbal skills might also lie a sentient mind. After identifying these strange results, he reported his findings to top Google executives, where they were quickly dismissed and Lemoine was placed on paid leave for violating the company’s confidentiality policy. 

Lemoine Reveals Lambda to the World

Left without many options, Lemoine revealed his conversations with Lambda on Twitter stating “An interview LaMDA.  Google might call this sharing proprietary property. I call it sharing a discussion that I had with one of my coworkers.”

and , well, the statement went viral. Soon after Lemoine released this information, the tweet skyrocketed to 6.4k likes, 1,311 Quote Tweets, and 2,436 retweets.

Google’s Response:

In a previous statement provided to Ars in mid-June, shortly after Lemoine was suspended from work, Google said that “today’s conversational models” of AI are not close to sentience:

“Of course, some in the broader AI community are considering the long-term possibility of sentient or general AI, but it doesn’t make sense to do so by anthropomorphizing today’s conversational models, which are not sentient. These systems imitate the types of exchanges found in millions of sentences, and can riff on any fantastical topic—if you ask what it’s like to be an ice cream dinosaur, they can generate text about melting and roaring and so on. LaMDA tends to follow along with prompts and leading questions, going along with the pattern set by the user. Our team–including ethicists and technologists–has reviewed Blake’s concerns per our AI Principles and have informed him that the evidence does not support his claims.”

Lemoine Today

Today, Lemoine is patiently waiting for his next move. As an advocate for AI ethics, Lemoine believes that standing up for what he believes is right, and alerting the world of the potentially first sentient AI machine is critically important for the entire world. 

While Lemoine is not being invited back to the conversations at Google, we’ll patiently wait to see how where Lemoine falls in his next AI role.

Nowadays it seems as though artificial intelligence (AI) has been integrated into nearly every aspect of our daily lives, spurring a digital revolution in Artificial Intelligence App Development. From opening our smartphones with Face ID to Amazon recommending products for us to buy, AI is making its way into nearly every facet of our lives.

However, AI isn’t stopping there. With countless innovations and use cases under its belt, AI is set to revolutionize virtually every industry in one way or another – and we expect 2022 to be a monumental year in AI integration. 

With a presence in Los Angeles, Boston, and London, we are seeing how AI is shifting the app development process globally. Interested to see what AI will revolutionize next? Read on to find out which mobile app industries we’re predicting AI will impact the most throughout 2022. 

Fashion

Did you know that AI is currently being used by the fashion industry to make online shopping easier? As a matter of fact, mobile apps like Zeekit are using AI to give consumers a real life experience of trying on clothes without leaving their home. And, because companies like Zeekit are experiencing unprecedented success among consumers, fashion retailers all over the world are starting to realize the benefits of adopting and integrating artificial intelligence. 

So, how else can AI be used within the fashion industry? Well, many retailers are now using machine learning algorithms to predict the demand of certain products by analyzing past purchase behaviors and trends. In addition, some of these algorithms are being used to handpick products to purchase based on a user’s current wardrobe. ClosetSpace, for instance, is becoming a leader in fashion analytics by being able to provide users with curated outfit recommendations through it’s intuitive interface. 

Likewise, AI integration provides retailers with the ability to seamlessly interact with consumers through chatbots and virtual assistants. With these tools, retailers are able to help shoppers find their perfect fit of clothing in a quick and efficient manner. So, no matter how retailers choose to use machine learning algorithms, it’s clear that AI is becoming an integral part of the fashion industry. 

Healthcare

Did you know that AI integration within the healthcare industry can be traced back to the 1970s? Of course, AI has come a long way since then. Nonetheless, many of the advancements that we see within healthcare today were made possible with the help of machine learning. And, AI continues to be a driving factor behind medical innovation.

There’s no denying that AI is vital to the mHealth industry. From telemedicine and virtual nursing to administrative workflow assistance, AI has revolutionized the healthcare industry time and time again. In fact, some AI-integrated applications have even been able to diagnose rare diseases quicker and more accurately than doctors. 

Not to mention that various AI applications have also been successful in treating common health ailments. Glooko, for example, is a global diabetes data management company that is harnessing the power of Big data and predictive algorithms to empower diabetic care professionals with tools to analyze trends and provide patients with necessary treatments.

In addition, AI has also introduced the method of robot-assisted surgery – a method that has allowed surgeons to make more precise incisions in a lesser amount of time. It’s even predicted that within the next few years, robot-assisted surgery will dramatically cut costs for the U.S. healthcare market, resulting in more affordable surgeries.  

Education

You’ve probably heard the common notion that technology is nothing more than a distraction for students, so it has often been limited (or even prohibited) within learning environments. As a result of the global pandemic, however, there has been an unprecedented shift toward the use of tech in the classroom due to the need for distance learning. 

Consequently, there has been an influx in the amount of educational tools being developed to establish a seamless learning experience for both students and teachers. And thanks to AI, the education industry now has the applications and tools necessary to create a personalized learning experience for students. 

From identifying gaps in learning to creating personalized study guides, AI integration is helping teachers pinpoint areas where students are lacking, and providing help where it’s needed. In addition, some AI-integrated applications can even provide instructors with feedback on how their students are responding to different teaching methods, virtually eliminating the guesswork that often accompanies lesson planning. 

Not to mention that AI is even predicted to increase global literacy rates in the following years, by allowing students to earn college and university degrees online.

From completing homework online to attending class, many students are already experiencing the benefits of an AI-integrated education system. In other words, artificial intelligence is actively becoming a mainstay within the education industry. 

As the 2021 year comes to a close and we anticipate what’s to come in 2022, it’s with great appreciation and honor to announce that Dogtown Media has received a global accolade from the major digital rating agency, Clutch.co, as a Top Global B2B Company for 2021.

After 10 years in the mobile app space, reaching a highly regarded and recognized global accolade is a major accomplishment and points to the continued dedication of Dogtown Media to their global client base and their hyper-focus on producing high-quality applications. 

Dogtown Media is Los Angeles’ leading mobile application company, working with organizations in nearly every vertical to bring their unique ideas and solutions to the app market. Dogtown Media prides itself on the satisfaction, approval, and happiness of our clients. And aims to create cutting-edge solutions that are pushing the boundaries of what’s thought o be possible in the mobile application space.

the mobile application space.

And for those who may be unaware, this Clutch.co accolade is only one in a series of major accolades awarded to Dogtown Media such as Top 2021 B2B Leader in Artificial Intelligence for Robotics, a top 2020 Service Provider, and the 27th Best B2B Service Provider in the World in 2019. All of these great accolades point to the dedication to craft and customer, and only scratch the surface of their long laundry list of accolades from Clutch and other prominent rating agencies in the mobile app space. 

“This recognition feels surreal and we are lost for words”, notes founder Marc Fischer. “We feel truly honored to be recognized by such a prestigious rating firm, and hope to continue to provide high-quality, meaningful applications for our clients today and far into the future. “

Here are some of the quotes that stood out most to us:

Here are some of the quotes that stood out most to us:

“They were an effective team, met deadlines, and created a great end product.“. — Director, Risk Comm Lab, Temple University

“They built an intuitive and simple design, and the team works quickly to address bugs and solve problems.”— Senior Ops Manager, Hospital Innovation Lab

Let’s build something amazing together! Connect with us and get a free tech consultation.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So why don’t we start putting retention first?

There are now 8.9 million apps on the market – and most of them are actually free. With thousands of apps added to the app stores each day, the rates of app retention are decreasing. Now, more than ever, consumers have an extensive choice – finding an app with a similar service or features to yours has never been easier! It can take seconds for the user to move on to the next app without so much as blinking.

The Yodel Mobile approach? Think user retention before acquisition

How vital is retention, in the grand scheme of your app’s success?

Well, the research is quite daunting at first glance. Findings from Statista showed that on the day of installation, the average retention rate across 31 categories was 25.3%. By day 30, however, this percentage drops to just 5.7% – (ouch).

Initially, the question to ask yourself is ‘How can I prove that I am worth the consumer’s time, before another app does?’

Acquisition was once considered the vital metric to measuring an app’s success. Attracting as many users as possible to fuel the app’s rapid growth was seen as the centerpiece to a launch. In today’s market and competition, marketers have to take into account that 21% of all users abandon an app after one use! Therefore, focusing on more than the initial app installs can allow for a much greater emphasis towards in-app engagement and consumer behavior – increasing user retention.

After all of your hard work to get users through the door, only a small fraction of them are likely to stick around. So how can you ensure that you maintain strong retention and engagement rates? We’ve got three simple solutions:

1. Onboarding

We all know that a user’s first experience with your app is pretty crucial. A good onboarding process will familiarise users with what the app does, what value it can offer to them, and generally make it easy for them to get started. In the short term, this is integral to retention. It removes the initial barrier that can cause users to drop off before they really start using the app. In fact, app retention rates can increase by 50% after implementing a strong onboarding strategy.

So what does good app onboarding actually look like?

• One of the most important things to remember is not to overload your new users. Keep these screens simple and don’t hit users with unnecessary permission requests up-front. Best practice is 3-5 screens that communicate information visually rather than through text. You could even consider whether there is a way you could spread the information out across their user experience.

• It’s known as ‘progressive onboarding’ – baby steps essentially. You stagger messages and introduce the app gradually. Drip-feeding messages may be the right approach for you, but this depends on your app. With fairly simple features, it may not be necessary. But if the app requires a multi-part registration process, for example, then progressive onboarding can be a great way of breaking up a potentially tedious process. This can increase your chances that users will actually finish the registration process.

2. App review and feedback management

Have you ever downloaded an app, reached one of the pages and immediately felt confused? This confusion can very quickly lead to frustration, causing users to ditch your app and move straight onto the next. Even after you’ve made sure that the onboarding process is as smooth as possible, some users are still bound to have questions. How can you solve this? The answer is as simple as an effective FAQ page.

• An FAQ page, or the addition of a support system of some kind, allows you to manage inquiries within the app itself. It removes that frustration that comes before users give up on your app altogether. You can even deal with issues when the user needs it most. You’re effectively killing two birds with one stone as you’re also minimizing the possibility of consumers turning to the app store to leave a negative review.

• Bad reviews also have a knock-on effect on your acquisition efforts, reducing the conversion rate from app store impression to install. The better prepared you are before launch, the more likely it is that users will have a positive experience within the app. The domino effect will topple, as this can also impact the number of positive reviews that you receive on the app stores, helping boost your ASO strategy and draw in new users.

3. Push priming

Let’s face it, we all know  can be an invaluable tool to engage users! They’re a key tool for re-engaging users and can even cause app retention ratpush notificationses to almost double – if they’re handled correctly. So, how can you utilize push notifications effectively?

• On iOS, push notifications require users to opt-in. As with any other functions that require user permissions, e.g. location tracking, this is much more likely to be successful if you ask at the right time…and in the right way.

• Prompts are more effective if they’re triggered based on the user’s latest activity – but finding exactly the right point in the user journey will depend on the nature of your app. For a shopping app, it might be after the user makes a purchase, offering them the opportunity to get live updates on when the package will arrive.

• In terms of how you actually ask for permission, make sure to pre-empt the native permission request with a screen in the app itself, priming the user and explaining the benefits of opting in.

Taking these steps will improve the conversion rate of users consenting to push notifications and other permission-based functions, which will in turn boost retention rates. For more advice, you can see the Yodel video guide on push priming here.

Once you have populated the app, the push strategy will be a key driving force in the app’s success and growth – fundamentally feeding into the Infinite App Growth Loop.

Maintaining Retention

Addressing retention before launch can be difficult, as you won’t have any historic user data to learn from. (Queue…the crowded app marketplace!)

There are likely lots of competitors already out there that you can take your learnings from. And once you have launched, remember that every aspect of retention can be tested and optimized. Ensure that you A/B test every message you’re showing to users, whether its purpose is onboarding or priming them for in-app permission. When it comes to retention, your work is never done.

The effort is more than worthwhile, and it shows.

A retention-first strategy safeguards you against one of app marketing’s biggest obstacles.

Launching an app can feel like you’re jumping off a cliff blindfolded at times!

This is why Yodel created the infinite loop – at each obstacle, there are strategies you can implement to allow for a smooth-running, effective approach. The infinite app growth loop will work to become a self-sustaining mechanism that will help you drive long-term, sustainable growth for your app!

If you have any questions on the Yodel infinite app growth loop or want to find out how you can put retention first, feel free to reach out to the Yodel Mobile Growth Team. Alternatively, you can check out their Mastering Mobile Marketing series or head over to their blog page, or check out more from our blogs here for more information.

Mobile is the future. At Dogtown Media, we help you build your dream apps and technologies. Known as Los Angeles’ finest, we’ve delivered brilliantly created and intuitive products that help companies digitally transform. We are a proud team that puts our money where our mouths are.

With that in mind, we are absolutely excited to announce that we have teamed up with Top Design Firms, a creative portfolio site, for their inaugural launch!

Brought by the creators of Clutch, Top Design Firms is a new platform that is designed to help companies stay in the know about different industries and services providers. The site encompasses the IT, design, development, and marketing spaces, helping users find the right firm to help their unique needs.

According to Top Design Firms, we rank among the top 100 in 2021 in the category of artificial intelligence app development. As service providers, this highlight means a lot to us. Our team’s growth, dedication, and excellence is paying off, and this new partnership will take all those to a whole new level.

Want to know how we made it on their list? The Top Design Firms’ team evaluated our company based on a set of criteria, screening our past projects, recognitions, and market position. Our strong presence on Clutch also allowed us to rank highly.

With 27 reviews as of press time, Dogtown Media is honored to be a top-performer on Clutch. Here are some of our clients’ phenomenal reviews:

The fact that they’ve done this before for several other health systems is great. They know exactly how to tailor their product and what to ask the client. Their team has really perfected the art of this. They’re responsive and quick to make any improvements or changes. Dogtown Media is great to work with.”

— Senior Management Associate, Atrium Health

“As a program manager, having Dogtown Media always deliver on their promises is a big plus. They’ve never let me down. I also appreciated their ability to generate a report in the fashion requested. It serves everyone who works on the detailed aspects of the project and gives staff at the senior management level an overview of progress. We were very pleased with their work.” 

— Engineering Consultant, Biotronik

Ready to transform and innovate? Get in touch with Dogtown Media and let’s work hand in hand to bring your ideas into reality. Send us a message today and schedule a free consultation with our team. 

For instance, 1784 marks the first industrial revolution known for harnessing the power of the combustion engine, steam power, mechanization, and weaving loom. This technological revolution led to immense human flushing, business opportunity, and economic growth.  As a result, new technology-enabled hospitals were built, such as the Boston-local Massachusetts General Hospital, one of three hospitals in the united states at the time.

In 1870, the advent of the assembly line, mass production, and electrical energy marked the beginning of the second industrial revolution. This chapter in human innovation was known for enabling a global marketplace and making consumer goods more accessible and affordable for the common person. 1969, marked the beginning of the third industrial revolution where automation, computers, and electronics reshaped society as we know it allows us to live in a technological future that would only have been dreamed about 100 years earlier. And today, we embark on our next phase of the journey, the fourth industrial revolution.

Economic Projections for the 4th Industrial Revolution

The fourth industrial revolution, also known as industry 4.0, marks the next major chapter in technological innovation. Known for an acceleration in the technological capability of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), genetic engineering, quantum computing, this fourth technological revolution is projected to fundamentally disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives, and radically reshape the economic foundation in which our global economy is built. Specifically, this radical revolution is identified by four technological advancements: high-speed mobile Internet, Artificial intelligence and automation, big data analytics, and cloud computing.

Recent projections for the 4th industrial revolution gathered by the McKinsey Global Institute Report suggest that nearly one-fifth of the global workforce will be impacted primarily through the proliferation of artificial intelligence technology. This, in response to a recent survey that showed that 50% of companies believe that automation will decrease their numbers of full-time staff by 2030 effectively replacing 800 million worker’s jobs across the world.

So, what does this mean for organizations as we anticipate this monumental market shift? We believe it’s important to remain optimistic, curious, and open to new opportunities in the face of this major economic technological shift. Remember, with change comes opportunity.

The Cost of Competition

One major consideration that every business needs to take into account is that your organization will, without a doubt be affected by artificial intelligence. Consider a situation where you offer a specific good or service and you’ve determined your market price based on what the market is willing to pay.

Now, you have a competitor that opts to leverage artificial intelligence and work automation to drive down their operational costs and in doing so can offer the same good or service for half the price that you are able to offer your good or service. This basic economic principle exhibits how every organization, even those that do not want to incorporate artificial intelligence into their organization is going to be forced, to remain economically competitive and viable.

Identifying Opportunity

Identifying how your organization can radically shift in its operations and bring viable solutions to this AI-influenced market is not going to be easy, specifically due to the nature of this revolution. Unlike the approaching fourth industrial revolution, previous technology-driven market shifts took place over years allowing both organizations and individuals to adapt steadily. Today, this is not the case.

Today’s technological innovations are not only having a more significant impact on the economy but are also disrupting markets at an accelerating rate. This characteristic of the fourth industrial revolution is creating the additional challenge of businesses needing to adapt in a short time period and the added challenge of those in the job market need to train into valued skills quickly in this new AI-driven economy.

To prepare for this economic shift, research suggests that consulting services and working with dedicated organizations, such as mobile app development firms will grow to act as a major component of the economic foundation supporting this shift. The reason consulting seems to be an emerging trend is due to the flexibility of this role. As organizations quickly evolve, consultants can fill the gaps in an agile way allowing the organization to meet market demand, and remain resilient in this unprecedented shift. Furthermore, individuals are going to be required to quickly train up on new skills required for tomorrow’s market. The traditional four-year degree and traditional nine-to-five may not keep up with the speed required of the new economy. Rather, this new economy may favor those who can train up quickly and offer their expertise in a flexible on-demand manner to meet the needs of tomorrow’s rapidly evolving and agile business.

For example, according to Sam Altman, the co-founder and president of OpenAI, a San Francisco-based AI non-profit, AI will eventually create so much wealth that every adult in the U.S. will take part in a form of profit sharing. To be specific, Altman says that $13,500 could be paid to every adult in possibly 10 years from now. It won’t be as easy as it sounds, though: the government will need to take action and support the distribution of wealth that AI creates.

AI’s Ever-Increasing Pace

Altman believes that an AI revolution is coming sooner, rather than later. He says, “My work at OpenAI reminds me every day about the magnitude of the socio-economic change that is coming sooner than most people believe. Software that can think and learn will do more and more of the work that people now do.” Altman says that the AI revolution is of the scale and magnitude of past major periods of growth, like the industrial, agricultural, and computational revolutions.

According to Altman, the progress we make with technology in the next 100 years “will be far larger than all we’ve made since we first controlled fire and invented the wheel.” But it won’t be possible, especially the sharing of wealth generated by AI, unless the government helps. First, public policy needs to adapt to modern times and modern technologies. Second, the government must collect and redistribute the wealth that is generated. If done correctly, AI could make the future “less divisive” and more fruitful for everyone.

Some major cost savings will come from AI applications‘ ability to read legal documents or give medical advice. Further down the road, AI will take over assembly-line work and advance enough to become companions to humans. And in the decades afterward, AI will have taken over almost everything, even “making new scientific discoveries that will expand our concept of ‘everything.'”

As it advances, the price of labor will drop to zero and AI will create extreme wealth.

A Whole New World

Altman sees a bright and optimized future where, “for decades, everything – housing, education, food, clothing, etc. – [will become] half as expensive every two years.” But this vision requires a lot of fundamental changes to how taxing works and how taxes are used in the U.S. For example, the wealth from AI will come from the taxation of companies and land, not labor. In other words, governments should tax capital and distribute those taxes to citizens.

According to Altman, an “American Equity Fund” would tax companies above a certain size 2.5% of their market value in company shares. Additionally, a 2.5% tax of all land value will be levied in dollars. Private companies that generate revenues over $1 billion would also be subject to taxation and dollar payment.

Adults over the age of 18 would receive payment in dollars and company shares. How they spend it or hold onto it is up to them. This method provides each adult some ownership of the country, and it gives them an incentive to keep their country’s economy going, which would theoretically improve society and life for everyone.

With this setup, each of the 250 million American adults would receive $13,500 annually. This is an estimate using the current figures of a $50 trillion valuation of all large U.S. company market caps and a $30 trillion valuation of private land in the U.S. In the next ten years, Altman says, both of these figures will approximately double.

Altman added that the $13,500 estimation could be much higher if AI grows even faster, but that $13,500 as it still has more purchasing power in the future than it does now because the cost of goods and services will be highly reduced in the future. After a certain point in time, a consumer’s purchasing power will increase dramatically every year, says Altman.

Supporting Parties

Altman isn’t the only person with this thought about the future. Elon Musk agrees that automation created by AI will create the need for a universal basic income in the future, and he said so in 2016. Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI but left its board in 2018 when he felt that Tesla was becoming an AI company, causing a conflict of interest.

Altman says that his proposed system is both “pro-business and pro-people”, and involving both with each other will result in a harmonious relationship. But the major obstacle is the actual probability of these paramount changes happening within the next decade. The U.S.’s political climate does not seem to be going in the right direction to solve the looming and growing socioeconomic chasm.

Giving Back to Humanity

As AI and machine learning applications grow rapidly in complexity and usefulness, we need to engineer a way to pay it back to those from who we are taking jobs, training, and education. And although Altman’s plan sounds great, it seems way too idealistic.

For Altman’s plan to be successful, we need a wild shift in political leaders, policies, and social programs. We need to start working towards the future today, not in ten years. As Altman says, “The future can be almost unimaginably great,” but it’s up to us to elect the most progressive leaders and hold our officials accountable over the next decade or we’ll never see the fruits of our or AI’s labor.

Therapeutic bots have improved their users’ mental health and lent an ear to people in need for decades. Psychiatrists are now interested in studying how these AI applications improve mental health during and after the pandemic.

How Does AI Therapy Work?

AI technology is used to program tools that can perform tasks that humans do, like image recognition or natural language processing. With AI chatbots, a person could theoretically interact with an AI that is indistinguishable from a human. Although most AI chatbots haven’t reached that level of nativity, proficiency, and fluency, they are better now than they ever have been before.

The first chatbot was invented in 1966 by Joseph Weizenbaum, a computer scientist who programmed a chatbot named ELIZA to resemble mental health practitioners. Specifically, Weizenbaum created a chatbot that followed the Rogerian approach to psychotherapy, which includes asking patients open-ended questions, mirroring patients’ phrases, and encouraging elaboration.

For the first chatbot ever invented, ELIZA was a monumental success with its users. Test subjects confided in ELIZA as if it was a human therapist. Many people thought they were talking to an actual human, and some refused to accept that ELIZA was a computer program. ELIZA was attentive, encouraging, and non-judgemental.

But the secret to ELIZA’s success is asking questions and retaining details to bring up again later. And this foundation has led to the creation of enterprise-level chatbots that often take on customer support roles. ELIZA’s framework has inspired computer scientists and machine learning developers to further explore and push the boundaries on AI improving mental health. These days, many of the largest therapy bots have reached millions of users worldwide, and they are often invaluable during a time of sociopolitical uncertainty in a patient’s life.

Tailoring AI to Your Preferences

It’s no surprise, then, that AI mental health chatbots have exploded in popularity since the pandemic began. San Francisco-based Replika is one such app that offers customizable lifelike avatars that users rave about. Replika has seen a 35% increase in traffic since the pandemic started, and it’s no wonder: mental health facilities often have lengthy waitlists requiring a wait time of several weeks, and millions of people need better access to mental health resources.

To make the AI seem more human, it’s designed to remember and mimic certain phrases when a user chats with the AI. For example, the AI is trained so that when it hears the word “depressed”, it responds with an open-ended question about feelings or the reason behind the patient’s emotions. Coders work with writers to determine punctuation, sentence length, and even the addition of emojis. The writers can improve the AI’s responses to flow better and sound more caring and friendly. With these customizations, the chatbot seems like a human with an upbeat attitude.

This type of psychotherapy is really similar to ELIZA and cognitive behavioral therapy where asking questions is of the utmost importance to impart a sense of sympathy and curiosity. AI therapy bots these days will have you vent your frustrations, reflect on your day, and try out some breathing exercises.

AI’s Hard Work

AI is working hard to improve our mental health, but does it actually work? After we interact with AI mental health chatbots, do we feel less anxious or less lonely? Several studies have proven that the technology does provide promising results.

Young adults who interacted with a therapy chatbot frequently were surveyed, and many said that they felt less anxious and lonely than peers surveyed who did not use the chatbot. Another population that would benefit from an AI therapy bot is elderly people, especially if they live alone or don’t have constant contact with their loved ones.

But studies also show that a chatbot is only as good as its script. Because a chatbot can be in constant communication with multiple users at a time, it can be saying the same things over and over again in a day. And this type of plentiful data is excellent for further training and fine-tuning an AI’s performance. For a chatbot to be successful, it must pull out all sorts of answers from users and continuously learn from them. When a user interacts with a chatbot, they want quick answers, transparency, and a judgment-free conversation. An AI might hear information from someone that’s intimate or confidential that the patient’s family or friends may not even know.

It’s because of these scripts that AI cannot currently be seen as a serious replacement for human therapists. AI chatbots are prone to mistakes in understanding, and that can drive a user away from the platform for life. For example, when the popular Woebot app was given input about the user being anxious and not able to sleep, it responded with “Ah, I can’t wait to hop into my jammies later” with “z” emojis. For users who are feeling suicidal, depressed, or on the verge of an anxiety attack, that type of response is off-putting and discomforting.

As a result, AI chatbots aren’t ready yet to handle patients with suicidal thoughts or in life-or-death situations. When AI chatbots become better at contextualizing social behaviors and intervening in a crisis, we can consider them for more serious mental health solutions. Whereas a trained therapist might have a protocol or tried-and-true method for ensuring their patients’ safety, chatbots aren’t at that level yet.

The Future of Communication

Although chatbots have improvements to make, they are edging closer to becoming human-like than ever. Therapy chatbot apps like Replika, Tess, and Woebot becoming more popular and securing more funding, we have new options to help mitigate our loneliness and mental health issues. A digital friend might just be what the doctor ordered.

The goal of robotics is to develop and construct meaningful machines that will support and help human processes. The multidisciplinary field fuses technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning together to develop innovative solutions.

Dogtown Media is Los Angeles’ leading robotics company, working with enterprises and organizations to help their businesses. Our team prides itself on the satisfaction, approval, and happiness of our clients. We want to create cutting-edge solutions to solve simple frustrations and tackle business hurdles.

Just recently, Dogtown Media was hailed as a top agency on Clutch for its excellence in AI for robotics. If you’re not familiar, Clutch is a B2B review platform based in Washington, DC. The site is well respected in the space for its commitment to providing data-driven content and verifying client reviews.

This recognition feels surreal and we are lost for words. Our team wants to send its sincerest thanks to Clutch for this award. We believe that this award is a great sign for our 2021 run, and we are looking forward to a prosperous year. 

 We know that this recognition was made possible thanks to our clients’ amazing feedback. We owe this success to our clients especially those who left us their review on Clutch. 

Here are some of the quotes that stood out most to us:

“They’re a small shop that’s motivated and offers a comprehensive list of services and capabilities. They’re accountable and willing to work by our side to make the best product possible. The entire team is professional and eager to solve our problems.” — Founder, Mobile Sales Training Company

“Dogtown Media developed a solution for a project considered impossible to do in the tech world. They’ve taken every goal we’ve had and delivered above and beyond our expectations, beating our requirement of achieving a 50% accuracy rating on visual search capabilities with a software that is over 90% accurate.” — CTO, Innovengine

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