Google starts phasing out third party cookies in Chrome

Hi Futurist,

First and foremost, wishing you a happy & healthy 2024! Hopefully, you had a pleasant New Year's Eve, surrounded by the most important people in your life. Thanks to AI developments, 2023 was an extraordinary year for marketing technology. Marketers who utilized AI in their (daily) work in 2023 will significantly outpace those who did not in 2024. That's why I'm sending you insights, inspiration, and innovation straight to your inbox. Let's dive into the depths of the digital future together and discover the waves of change shaping our industry.

In this post, we're dipping in:

• 📣 Byte-Sized Breakthroughs: Three (technological) developments in the digital landscape

• 🎙️ MarTech Maestros: one webinar, podcast, or interesting paper I believe you should watch, listen to, or read too

•  🧐 Last but not least: Things that I like

Do you have tips, feedback or ideas? Or just want to give your opinion? Feel free to share it at the bottom of this dip. That's what I'm looking for.

📣 Byte-Sized Breakthroughs

'Byte-Sized Breakthroughs' briefly highlights (technological) developments in the digital landscape

Head story: Google starts phasing out third party cookies in Chrome

Today, Google is blocking cookies for 1% of its users in their Chrome web browser, amounting to roughly 30 million users. Chrome, holding a 68% market share, is taking its first step in a series of actions as part of their Privacy Sandbox project, aiming ultimately for cookieless browsing. While the option is currently available in Chrome, it remains optional for now. By 2024, Google plans to make this the default for all Chrome users, eliminating 'third-party-cookies' for good.

Google is changing course. Instead of cookies, a new technology will replace them, one that better protects user privacy by sharing less personal data with websites. This shift will impact everyone who uses online advertising in their marketing mix. Questions arise: How will you advertise online in the future without relying on third-party data? How will you personalize your website if you currently do it based on cookies? How will you adjust your marketing mix to become less dependent on the power of Google or other tech giants?

Time is running out. Google intends to block all third-party cookies in Chrome by Q3 of 2024. Here are three strategies you must apply in your marketing before 2024:

1. Engagement, engagement, and more engagement. Ensure that visitors stay active on your platform as long as possible. Optimize your channels for the best user experience and use gamification to engage people.

2. Build up first-party data. It's crucial to know who your visitor is as soon as possible. Effective campaigns leading to soft conversions will become more important than driving visitors directly to hard conversions with a high waste percentage.

3. Collaboration in data alliances or partnerships. Consider collaborating with other companies to share customer data in a privacy-friendly manner, enriching existing customer data. Additionally, smart partnerships can give you access to your desired audience, allowing you to advertise without relying on cookies, by advertising directly on your partners' channels.

Of course, there are other, more technical strategies to cope with the disappearance of third-party cookies. But the above three are things you can start with right away. Anyway, in 2024 a new era of online advertising truly begins.

Apple's AI Leap: Innovating mobile technology with AI

TL;DR

Apple is making significant advancements in AI development with some announcements in the last month: a new framework that allows developers to build AI models on Apple's hardware, plus two recently published studies showcasing innovations. The first, 'LLM in a flash', enables complex AI applications to run smoothly on iPhones and iPads. The second, 'Human Gaussian Splats' (HUGS), creates fully animatable avatars from short videos, offering new possibilities for personalization and realism in various applications.

Read it yourself? 

Sentiment

While Google has been criticized for lagging in the AI race, Apple has so far avoided this criticism. After all, Apple is Apple. Expectations are high, particularly for the possibilities it offers for mobile technology and augmented reality (AR). The swift and efficient execution of complex AI applications on Apple devices is seen as a significant step forward. The HUGS technology, which can make avatars faster and more realistic, is also considered a major breakthrough. Analysts are looking forward to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) in June.

My thoughts

From Apple, you expect nothing less than a solid product. While minor adjustments to iPhones are still greeted with great enthusiasm, AI developments for iPhone could mean a new leap forward. Google has already introduced a competitor with Gemini Nano, but unlike Google, Apple manages both the software and the hardware. This could be a significant advantage in integrating advanced AI applications into their devices. I'm curious to see how these technologies will be applied in future Apple products and services, including the iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro.

Meta launches 20 new AI tools

TL;DR

Meta is unstoppable. They are dropping one AI addition after another into their ecosystem. Meta launched no fewer than 20 new AI features in their apps. This includes Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with integrated Meta AI for a hands-free experience. Users can now get AI assistance for tasks such as writing captions and recognizing objects. Meta also launches an image generator called Imagine, available as a standalone app (currently only available within the US), with invisible watermarks for transparency in AI-generated images. These innovations are linked to improvements in Facebook and Instagram, such as AI-powered comment and post recommendations, as well as new capabilities for creators to communicate more efficiently with their audience.

Read it yourself? 

Sentiment

'Who ever thought they'd log into Facebook again?' was a common reaction. However, the responses to Meta's AI developments are positive. The new features, such as invisible watermarks, are seen as a step forward in responsibly using AI technology. With access to three billion people worldwide, Meta's developments further push the adoption of AI in everyday life.

My thoughts

Meta's AI additions to their existing products feel almost seamless, as if they were meant to be. Yet, it's astounding. Their image generation AI model, trained on billions of Instagram images, showcases the wealth of data Meta is building upon. The AI-powered RayBan smart glasses illustrate how technology and our reality are increasingly intertwined. When Facebook rebranded to Meta to emphasize their leap into the metaverse, they probably didn't realize how brilliantly this move would play out. These developments highlight how AI is not just a technological advancement but a transformative force in how we interact with our environment and how companies like Meta shape their future.

More byte-sized breakthroughs:

• NYTimes sues OpenAI and Microsoft

  The New York Times has demonstrated through ChatGPT that OpenAI's AI model has been trained on millions of the newspaper's articles. They are now demanding billions of dollars in damages from both OpenAI and Microsoft. This lawsuit could have far-reaching consequences for the entire AI sector. All text, sound, and image-generation models are trained on existing content, often of high quality, which is mostly behind a paywall. This case will set a precedent regarding intellectual property rights issues.

• Tesla gives a preview of its updated, humanlike robot
  This might sound strange, but Tesla recently shared a video featuring their updated, humanlike robot. It can dance, cook eggs, and squat. Seriously. Tesla is developing this robot to perform 'unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks'. For that, the robot needs to be “human-like”. And honestly, it’s eerily close to that! The goal is to market this robot for around $20,000.

• Large Language Model achieves successful outcome
  Large Language Models (LLMs) are not exactly known for their proficiency in solving mathematical calculations. They often give wrong answers, sometimes with the simplest question. Google's Deepmind program, the developers behind Google’s Gemini AI models, has succeeded in solving the so-called ‘cap-set-problem’. Why is this interesting? Because the model itself found the solution, using a trial-and-error method from which other LLMs can benefit.

🎙️ MarTech Maestros

In 'MarTech Maestros,' I share one webinar, podcast, or interesting paper I've encountered, which I believe you should watch, listen to, or read too.

Zapier AI Actions & GPT: Complete Setup Guide

If you're familiar with creating your own custom GPTs, and you want to build your own AI agent that can send emails for you, check your calendar, retrieve Slack messages, and probably thousands of other use cases, then this is the must-see video for you.

 🧐 Last but not least

• Microsoft Co-Pilot App for iOS and Android: Want to use ChatGPT-4's capabilities without paying? Download the Microsoft Co-Pilot app for iOS or Android.

• Midjourney launches it’s Alpha version:

  Midjourney has launched V6, now capable of writing text in images that are grammatically correct. Previously, image generation was only possible through Discord, but now it's also available via the website.

• AI movies are near: With developments like Midjourney V6, Pika Labs, Runway, and other text-to-video or image-to-video generation tools, the first AI movie is close. Check out this trailer or this one, showcasing what live action, effects, and AI can achieve. Or this Christmas story combining Harry Potter and Star Wars. Speaking of AI movies, the developments in video generation apps like Runway and Pika are moving incredibly fast, as seen in these examples. Google is also entering this arena with the announcement of VideoPoet. Personally, I find this example the most beautiful.

• These GPT-4 Vision use cases are amazing to see:
  What if you're a realtor or in hospitality and spend valuable time describing properties or venues? Why not create a tool that describes the images you upload? I find the following example brilliant. What if you wear Meta Rayban glasses and want to recall events from your day? Just ask the accompanying app.

• AI upscaling images, video and sound: It's astonishing to see how extremely detailed AI-generated content can be, especially when you can upscale images with the tool I shared last time. Especially when using the zoom function in Midjourney. Combine it with other AI tools, and you get examples like this one. Personally, I find this one of 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring' the most beautiful. Not just images, but also old videos are made crystal clear with AI, as are audio fragments from years ago.

• (3D) Generate animations with your mobile: With the Move AI tool, film yourself and then convert into a 3D animation. Anyone with a mobile camera can do this, no expensive hardware or sensors needed. Try it yourself. Or how about converting your videos into a different style? Try this on Discord.

• AI voice bots that sounds like humans: Deepgram has launched a text-to-speech model for real-time voice communication. If you want an idea of the future of customer service, watch the video below.

• Translate your voice instantly with AI:
  Want to address your audience in their language? No worries. With this tool, you can do it in no time. Check out this example.

• Breaking News, brought to you by… AI: A glimpse into the future of how news will be delivered to you.

• Clone yourself, so you’re available 24/7: For content creators, celebrities, or others who need to be 'on' all the time, cloning themselves and then monetizing this clone could be a solution. I'm not sure whether to applaud this or not.

• Generate an UI with a simple prompt: Rapid prototyping now truly lives up to its name. Start with a prompt, and you quickly generate a first UI. Or use this tool, which converts the prompt directly into code and allows for adjustments based on new prompts. Still not satisfied? Then use this tool to generate, code, and even launch your app.

• You can now generate music with multiple AI apps: First, we were the new Shakespeares with ChatGPT, then the Vincent van Goghs with Midjourney. Now, you can also become the new Mozart. Just describe the style your music should adhere to, and the tool does the rest. Create an account here. Can't wait for Spotify to jump on this too. Even Microsoft Co-Pilot can generate music for you. Or this tool. And also this one.

• Generate images as fast as you type: Generating images with Dalle-3, Midjourney, Adobe FireFly, or other image generation tools is great. But it's always a wait after sending your prompt to see the outcome. With Decohere AI, you see your output instantly as you type. Brilliant.

• An AI model to manage your phone: Answering emails, finding the right routes, playing your favorite song on Spotify. It's all possible with the large language model showcased in this research. It could be a great solution for people with visual impairments to control their smartphones.

• A workflow to create 3D content for the Apple ecosystem:
  The tool Spline enables you to develop 3D content for the Apple ecosystem, even for the upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

This was it. Our second digital dip together. It might seem like a lot, but remember; this wasn't even everything that happened in the past few weeks. This was just a fraction.

If you ever feel like brainstorming about the content of this or previous dips, are facing challenges with your marketing (technology) strategies, or have questions about AI applications or Web3, hit the reply button and I'll come by in exchange for a coffee.

Looking forward what tomorrow brings! ▽

-Wesley