As the Singularity Approaches, How Do Humans Stay Ahead of AI?
As artificial intelligence accelerates beyond historical precedent, we find ourselves at the precipice of the “technological singularity”: a theoretical moment when AI surpasses human intelligence and begins improving itself without human input.
It could bring massive benefits curing diseases, solving complex global issues, and eliminating manual labor. It also poses existential risks if AI becomes uncontrollable, misaligned with human values, or used harmfully.
As AI becomes potentially smarter than humans, how do humans stay ahead of AI?
But the idea of singularity isn’t limited to science fiction or the distant future. We’re already seeing a version of it in marketing. In marketing and CRM, the “mini-singularity” already happening is the automation of thinking, decision making, and execution that was once exclusively human powered by advanced AI platforms.
As the Singularity Approaches in CRM, Marketers are Still Responsible for Outcomes
CRM has traditionally followed a linear progression. We moved from batch-and-blast campaigns to segmentation, automation, and real-time personalization. But we are now entering a different phase. What once evolved step-by-step is now changing exponentially.
AI is no longer just a support tool. It is becoming an intelligent system that learns, adapts, and acts independently. Marketing teams will soon shift from managing every aspect of the customer journey to setting goals while intelligent systems determine the execution. Marketers may not always know the exact decisions being made, but they will remain accountable for the outcomes.
Four Signs We Are Nearing the Edge
Exponential technology growth. Technology is evolving faster than organizations can absorb. The move from the printing press to the smartphone took centuries. The leap from the smartphone to generative AI took just over a decade. CRM is now undergoing this same rapid transformation.
AI with strategic intelligence. AI is no longer automating only tasks. It is starting to replicate the strategic thinking of marketers. It can interpret intent, adjust for context, and tailor messages in real time. AI determines when to engage, what to say, and through which channel.
Shifting from manual control to intelligent guidance. Marketers used to build segments, define rules, and time their campaigns. In the new model, they will define objectives and constraints while AI executes. The marketer’s role is changing from executor to orchestrator.
Organizational redesign. The traditional, siloed marketing model is giving way to agile, cross-functional teams that use AI to reach outcomes faster. The future of CRM lies in restructuring how marketing teams work, not just which platforms they use.
Will It Dawn on Humans in Time?
Singularity is not a hypothetical future. It is happening now. The challenge is not whether it arrives, but whether we learn how to lead within it. Success will belong to marketers who are comfortable letting go of old workflows and embracing intelligent systems that can work faster and smarter.
The most effective marketers will focus less on building every path and more on teaching systems to reflect brand values, learn continuously, and drive meaningful engagement. We will not lose control. We will gain scale, clarity, and the freedom to focus on what only humans can do: storytelling, vision, and empathy.
What It Takes to be Built for This Moment
AI is not for rookies, nor the faint of heart. For marketers, it is critical that they integrate AI into their marketing tech stacks with companies that have experience in AI, starting with basic machine learning more than a decade ago. Good partners will have also already used AI to automate campaigns guided by real-time data intelligence of customer behaviors. They will have used AI to help from insight to content creation and orchestration.
We are a time where marketers can be helped by AI to seize the moment of technological singularity. Today, marketing platforms can enable anyone on the marketing team to act across data, creative, and optimization. It is called positionless marketing. As marketers become positionless, they need help to take a firm position and remain in control while embracing the full power of AI.
The singularity is here in marketing. The question is, “Will marketers control AI, or will AI control marketers?” In the end, humans will remain accountable for the outcomes.
David Hardy is the vice president of business services at Optimove, bringing over a decade of experience in senior roles in sales and client support within the marketing and technology sectors. In his role as VP of business services, he leads the strategic services team, which delivers customized, data-driven marketing and monetization strategies to Optimove clients. Prior to his position at Optimove, he was the head of pre-sales at Adobe, and before that, he served as the vice-president of strategic services at Rakuten.