ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND BUSINESS PRACTICES: INSIGHTS FROM MARKETING FIRMS IN OWERRI

Abstract

The study assesses how artificial intelligence (AI) influences businesspractices of marketing firms in Owerri. Key areas which the study examines include theconnection between AI and reduction of human error in financial data analysis; AI anddecision making, business process automation and customer engagement. The researchadopts the survey research design. The study uses primary sources of data. The study uses astructured questionnaire as the major instrument for data collection. The study adopts thepurposive sampling technique. Cronbach Alpha statistic was used to obtain a value of 0.88 asthe instrument reliability ratio. The research employs descriptive and inferential statistics fordata analysis. The findings revealed a positive and significant level of correlation betweenartificial intelligence (AI) and reduction in human error in the financial data analysis ofmarketing firms in Owerri; artificial intelligence (AI) and enhanced decision making ofmarketing firms in Owerri; artificial intelligence (AI) and automation of business processesof marketing firms in Owerri; artificial intelligence (AI) and improved customer engagementof marketing firms in Owerri. The study concludes that artificial intelligence (AI)significantly correlates with the business practices of marketing firms in Owerri. The studyrecommends among others that management should always ensure that those who are directlyinvolved in using artificial intelligence (AI) in solving business problems are periodicallytrained and retrained to always ensure that the reduction in human error in financial dataanalysis in the enterprises continues to improve; marketing firms need to always make gooduse of artificial intelligence (AI) in making those decisions that have the capacity to addvalue to the quality of decision making in organizations and to overall corporate wellbeing.