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James Gross is the co-founder of Alephic, an AI-first consultancy tackling marketing's most complex challenges, Previously, James co-founded Percolate, a pioneering content marketing platform serving giants like Unilever and GE, which was acquired by Seismic in 2019. James also is the Co-Founder of Micromobility Industries, the largest community for small electric vehicles.
On April 15, 2026 in San Francisco, Ride AI 2026 brings together AV pioneers, regulators, and AI experts to tackle the final frontier: marketing autonomous vehicles into mainstream adoption. Discover how real-world robotaxi scale, safety data, and LLM breakthroughs can bridge the trust gap and drive the next mobility revolution.
Rather than wrestling with bureaucratic checklists and hand-crafted rules, organizations should define the desired outcome and let AI’s computational scale absorb complexity. By prioritizing metrics over process, builders over operators, and rapid data-driven cycles, companies can clean the “garbage can” of waste without endlessly labeling each piece of trash.
Just as Eisenhower warned of a powerful military-industrial alliance and Conway observed that systems mirror their creators’ communication structures, today’s sprawling SaaS ecosystem quietly imposes vendor-defined processes on every company. By harnessing AI and proprietary “private tokens,” enterprises can escape this one-size-fits-all mold and build software that truly reflects their unique DNA and strategic edge.
Alephic’s AI-powered StarSearch tool teamed up with Amazon’s XCM to mine customer reviews and spin authentic feedback into an award-winning holiday campaign, earning a Cannes Lion. This breakthrough marks the start of StarSearch’s evolution into a full-blown marketing platform.
Technological breakthroughs have historically shifted from engineering challenges to marketing battles, as seen with personal computing, the internet, search engines, and electric vehicles. Now, the real test for autonomous vehicles is convincing consumers and regulators, raising the question: who will lead this marketing revolution?
Don't let SaaS solutions train on your unique competitive advantage and protect your company's unique IP by building your own custom AI.
Enterprises have journeyed from custom software development to embracing SaaS, and now, with AI advancements like OpenAI's API, they're poised to blend bespoke systems with cutting-edge AI tools for unprecedented differentiation.
The rise of AI promises to usher in a new era of productivity, redefining industries across the board. Marketers must harness these advancements to evolve into '10x marketers', leveraging AI to revolutionize strategies and drive profound growth.
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Tech giants are heavily investing in AI similar to how social media's potential was underestimated in its early days, applying Pascal's Wager logic for a transformative future. As they bet on AI's impact, businesses should also consider how these advancements might reshape their industries, taking cues from the lessons learned during the social media boom.