Last week, OpenAI captured headlines by announcing its acquisition of Jony Ive’s io, promising to create the 'iPhone of AI.' Impressive stuff. And exactly the kind of story that’s irresistible to tech media. 

And that set my alarm bells ringing. 

Because apart from talking about the huge amount of zeroes involved in the deal, the actual announcement was really kind of vague. What even is 'the iPhone of AI?'

I started off in digital marketing at the height of the dot com boom. So I've seen a lot of flashy announcements in my time. And you know what? Some of them are definitely timed to distract people from other news. 

So what else happened in the world of tech recently that is of interest to digital marketers? Something that other AI companies might not have wanted you to notice so much? 

Well, Google released significant improvements to its AI. Particular with reference to search and in embedding AI more deeply into Google Ads.

These new updates introduce powerful enhancements specifically designed to leverage Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) data – crucially valuable for marketers in recurring revenue businesses. 

And unlike the OpenAI announcement, Google's included a lot of very detailed information indeed. 

One of Google's improvements allows marketers to directly integrate their customer lifetime value (CLV) insights into Performance Max. So their AI now actively targets new customers through PMax based on patterns identified in your existing highest-value clients. 

Additionally, PMax's new refined features include better use of Customer Match Lists with CLV, allowing advertisers to upload data securely and have Google's AI dynamically adjust targeting to find similarly profitable customers. 

Google's 'Conversion Value Rules' further enhance this by enabling advertisers to adjust bids based on segments that have historically delivered higher lifetime value – think geography, devices, or customer behaviors.

They're also rolling out specific 'Retention Goals', such as 'Win-Back Mode' and 'High-Value Win-Back Mode', designed explicitly to help re-engage lapsed customers who previously demonstrated high CLV. 

These could be of particular value – and interest – for clients in insurance, charities, and subscription-driven businesses. They’re clearly designed to help you to bring back some of the most valuable customers you've lost and find more like them.

These operational upgrades represent a shift toward precision and profitability that has the potential to drive lasting business growth.

Although of course, we don’t know if they’ll work yet. (Or how well.)

But even against a background of falling or failing RoAS when using automation to plan digital performance media, they have to be worth investigating. 

We'll definitely be putting these upgrades to the test for the benefit of our clients.

They may not be a magic bullet, but they've got to be a damned sight more useful than an announcement about 'the iPhone of AI.'