Emerging Technologies: AI-Powered Advertising and Quantum Technology Advances
AI-powered advertising is evolving by utilizing large language models to infer individuals' personalities from online activities and customize ads accordingly, adjusting text, tone, pace, music, and colors. Cheil UK, in collaboration with Spotlight, is testing this approach to tailor ads across a broad audience using data from public social media posts, search histories, and user interactions with ChatGPT, along with demographic and preference information.
A US study found that personalized ad copy based on personality traits is more persuasive than generic ads, with participants generally accepting AI authorship. While still in early stages, industry experts anticipate personalization will become a standard in digital advertising, potentially reducing ad wastage, which currently comprises roughly 15% of digital ad spend. Adoption spans multiple sectors including retail, consumer electronics, packaged goods, automotive, insurance, and banking.
However, the approach has raised privacy, surveillance, ethical, and regulatory concerns, including fears of manipulation and election interference. Critics like Alex Calder describe the method as ineffective and unsettling, while Ivan Mato questions consumer acceptance and regulatory viability. Cheil’s Chris Camacho defends the ethical use of this technology, aiming to enhance the brand-consumer relationship.
Meanwhile, quantum technology continues to advance with significant milestones from Microsoft and Google, though it remains less mainstream than AI. Quantum technology focuses on hardware development such as quantum sensors and computers, contrasting with AI’s software emphasis. The quantum market could reach up to $97 billion by 2035, while AI’s value is forecast in the trillions. There are currently around 200 quantum computers worldwide, with undisclosed quantities in China.
Among recent breakthroughs, Google announced its Willow chip in December 2024, which reportedly can solve problems in five minutes that would take classical supercomputers an infeasible amount of time. Quantum computing's potential applications include accelerating healthcare research and development, enabling faster drug discovery, personalized medicine, and enhanced chemical processes.
Quantum sensors are already in use, such as atomic clocks; a 2019 prototype enabled non-intrusive brain scans, and a 2024 trial tested a quantum compass to improve indoor navigation on London’s Underground. UK pilots involve infrastructure and industry projects, including the National Grid’s investigation of quantum-based load shedding and Airbus’s collaboration with IonQ to optimize cargo loading using quantum algorithms.
Quantum computing also poses risks to current cryptographic standards, threatening public-key encryption security. Efforts toward post-quantum encryption are underway, with an estimated critical point around 2030. Companies like Apple and Signal have begun deploying post-quantum keys. In October, a cybersecurity expert warned that UK citizens’ data could be compromised through state-sponsored cyberattacks and stored for future quantum-enabled decryption.
