Technological advances in products and services continue to change the way we live, from more “thoughtful” coffeemakers to potential for self-driving cars and trucks in the not-so-distant future. At the cutting edge of these technologies is artificial intelligence, which relies on computers to perform humanlike tasks. A more physical technology is found in robotics, which are machines that can perform human tasks, like a machine that can “roll around” a store checking for out-of-stock merchandise, or one that takes your food order at a restaurant. Finally, the Internet of Things refers to products, such as home appliances that work more efficiently and are more able to perform more tasks by being connected to the Internet. How these and other technologically advanced products and services will diffuse into the marketplace is certainly not clear. What is clear, however, is that technology will continue to play an increasingly important part in the products and services we use every day.

Based on the above argument, examine how the technological advances are influencing marketers