Giles Robertson, Course Leader of BSc Marketing, attended the 4th International Conference on AI Research (ICAIR) 5-6 December 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Giles presented findings from his recent fieldwork with 130 UK digital agencies in collaboration with local digital agency Receptional (funded through a RIS project). The findings show how agencies are using AI and explore the challenges. The research team has also developed a 6-point compass to help further embed AI within organisations, which the university will be rolling out in 2025. The full research report can be found here: AI Marketing Readiness: How Do You Measure Up? [PDF]

It was a provoking event with speakers and participants from 11 countries—including Portugal, the UK, Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, the USA, Canada, and South Africa.

The participants exchanged ideas and tackled some of the challenges in this dynamic field.

Key reflections from the conference include:

• Understanding the scope of AI: sectors worldwide are leveraging AI for efficiency and productivity
• The shared challenges: application, integration, and training remain hurdles for organisations to maximise AI's potential
• Youth perspectives: teenagers recognise AI's benefits but question its usefulness—a call to action for educators to rethink course design?
• Knowledge gaps: there is a pressing need to explore the trends and impact of AI innovation in the Global South versus the Global North

It was a truly enriching experience— and a good tease for the 5th International Conference on AI in Brighton in 2025!