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Bryan St. Amant – Editor
IN THIS EDITION
MIT Webinar: Interplay Between AI and Human Behavior
Litmus “State of Email” 2025: 49% of Email Marketers Now Use GenAI
AI Wage Boom: What It Means for Wine Industry Professionals
Real-World Examples: Shopify goes all in with AI
Devil’s Advocate: Maybe We Should Shut AI Down Now?
MIT Webinar: Interplay Between AI and Human Behavior
After six months of partnering with a range of AI assistants, it’s clear to me we’re just learning to work with each other productively.
The interplay between AI models and human intent may take some time to work out amicably. But as long as I’ve been alive, the arrow of technological progress only points in one direction.
So, it might be wise to learn how to engage with our well-spoken (but sometimes clueless) AI colleagues before your competition leaves you in the dust. Especially in the wine industry now.
I’m not foolish enough to tell you AI will save the day, but if your tasting room is a little slow, maybe it’s time to consider something new. And if AI is on your list, you can’t go wrong learning from the brilliant minds at MIT.
That’s why I’ll be tuning in bright and early this Thursday to enjoy “Interplay Between AI and Human Behavior,” a live webinar hosted by MIT’s Industry Liason Program. I hope to see you there😊
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way humans think, work, and interact—but is it adapting to us, or are we adapting to it? This Leading Edge webinar explores the dynamic relationship between AI and human behavior, uncovering how algorithms influence decision-making, shape societal norms, and even alter cognitive processes.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leading-edge-webinar-interplay-between-ai-human-behavior-registration-1318987349669?aff=oddtdtcreator
Litmus State of Email 2025: 49% of Email Marketers Now Use GenAI
If you’ve been reading my posts, you might have noticed I’m a fan of marketing research, especially when it can help my friends and neighbors in wine country achieve their goals.
Since email is still the king of direct marketing in the wine industry, curious wine merchants might want to know that 49% of today’s email marketers are already using AI to create content, segment customers, and predict results based on past performance, according to the “State of Email 2025,” published by Litmus.
I’m one of the 49%. What about you?
If you’re interested in more AI Email Marketing stats, check out this report (starting on page 45): https://www.litmus.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2025-state-of-email-litmus.pdf
AI Wage Boom: What It Means for Wine Industry Professionals
Did you know that, on average, employees with AI skills are commanding a 56% wage premium compared to workers with no AI skills?
And workers in wholesale/retail trade (including the wine industry) command a 122% wage premium according to the latest research published by the international consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
If the chance to use AI to compete in a brutal wine market isn’t enough motivation to level up your AI skillset, maybe doubling your salary might provide the motivation you're looking for?
If you want to see the data, check it out here: https://pwc.turtl.co/story/ai-jobs-barometer-industry/page/8/5
And if you’re looking to boost your AI Wine Marketing literacy, you’re already in the right place😊
Real-World Examples: Shopify Goes All in with AI
Global e-commerce powerhouse Shopify is “all-in” with AI, according to Shopify’s Founder & CEO, Tobi Lutke.
For their business, the approach means no more humans performing jobs that can be automated by AI. For the nearly five million businesses hosting a Shopify store, “AI first” means a comprehensive toolbox of AI-powered sales and marketing tools.
What’s the impact on wine marketers?
For the thousands of wineries using straight-up Shopify or modified versions like Bloom or Winehub.io, AI assistants like Shopify’s “Sidekick” or “Magic” tools now offer a decisive competitive advantage at the perfect time.
Learn more here: https://www.shopify.com/magic
Devil’s Advocate: Maybe We Should Shut AI Down Now?
Sure, I’m excited about the opportunities AI offers to wine marketers, but I’m no techno-optimist. Every technology that imbues humans with “special” powers is ripe for abuse.
Now, much like Dr. Frankenstein, it appears one of the “founding fathers” of modern AI is ready to pull the plug on his invention.
In this opinion piece, Eliezer Yudkowsky warns that we've entered a bleak scenario. His prescription: Pausing AI Developments Isn’t Enough. We Need to Shut it All Down.
Maybe we’ve already built a “monster” that will consume us all. Or like social media, it will just make our existence more banal. Or perhaps, we can use our invention to help humans thrive.
No matter what fears Dr. Yudhowsky now harbors, I’m a techno-realist. Now that the cat is out of the bag, my thought is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, because we all know there’s no going back.
But preparing for the worst requires the courage to imagine unpleasant outcomes, so open minds might want to read this expert opinion here: https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/
Happy Selling!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bryan St. Amant, founder and CEO of VinterActive, holds an MS in Business Management from M.I.T. and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from U.C. Berkeley. He’s built AI-powered systems for governments, tech giants, and wine marketers. His award-winning work has been featured in books, magazines, and seminars, including CFO Magazine, Inc., CNN Money, eMarketing Magazine, Integrated Direct Marketing, Direct Marketing Association, Grapevine Magazine, Wine Marketing Report, Wine Business, and the Wine Industry Network.