discuss Artificial Intelligence and how it applies to outbound sales

[ThatNameGuy]

No doubt domainers way smarter than me are working toward a better way to market/sell domain names. While artificial intelligence is being used by retailers like Amazon to target prospects, realtors are also using AI to target home buyers.

I asked the question, is SEO artificial intelligence? No, but if you google "Is SEO artificial intelligence", you'll learn how AI empowers SEO.

Our brains are actually computers that if coordinated could develop one hell of a program that would target domain prospects rather than wait for these prospects to find us.

I believe I know enough about sales and marketing in general to provide credible input to make more domain sales to the real estate industry, the healthcare industry, and the food/restaurant industries.

Final questions...what, if anything do you know about AI and how it relates to selling domains? Do you know any one individual or company that's actively pursuing AI solutions for outbound domain sales? Inquiring minds would luv to know. Thanks

 

[Bob Hawkes]

as far as I know
AI is defined as

"software that writes software
and updates itself"

At least one online definition defines AI the following way, that I take it as somewhat broader.

"The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages."​

The emphasis being on accomplishing tasks that are comparable to a human brain. Learning is frequently part of that, but does not appear completely required, as I read it.

I think the way @frank-germany is using AI, is by many defined as Machine Learning, a branch, or perhaps more accurately an application, of Artificial Intelligence.

"Machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can access data and use it learn for themselves."​

Now I have trouble thinking of a domain application of AI that would not include some element of machine learning, getting better as it saw which of its predictions were accurate and which were not, but it would be possible I guess. For example, you might have an expert system for something like performing outbound that was already very intelligent and was not programmed to further improve on itself.

Bob

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Does someone know if the big operations, like Huge Domains, use AI in their acquisition, pricing and renewal decisions. I presume they use some kind of algorithm, probably overseen by human intervention, but do they actually use true AI as in software that gradually teaches itself to be better. They clearly have a big enough operation that it would seem they could do it if they decided to.

Also interested to what degree that GoDaddy implement true AI. They have access to a huge resource to learn from.

I have always wondered what Google's long term plan in the domain space is. Clearly they have an unfair advantage through dominance in search. Now they have become a top tier registrar - e.g. in top 10 in world for .com registrations. They have delegated some new gTLDs and have a bunch more sitting there. As @Ategy notes they are the masters of AI. So they could, if desired, leapfrog to a really dominant tool for valuation, information sources, etc. for any domain. Those who have invested a lot in developing domain intelligence services must be constantly looking over their shoulder at Google. Would be interesting to know their aspirations with respect to domain names.

Thanks for thread. Interesting topic. Probably far more questions than answers.

Bob

Bob...i've been out all day since starting this thread earlier. It took me a while to catch up, but I'm probably more confused now than before That said however, I'm very familiar with particular industries that I've worked in and around all my life. Lets take for example the restaurant industry. Thank God I've never started, owned or run a restaurant, but I know a lot of people who have. Conservatively there are over 2,000 restaurants in the "757" region considering there are 660,000 restaurants in the US. I've actually found a site that breaks down restaurants by specialty like seafood, Italian, Chinese, etc in the US. I know too how many culinary schools there are in my region. My question, armed with this sort of knowledge how hard would it be to try and identify those individuals in the "757" who may have an interest in starting a restaurant? This said, many of the restaurants in the "757" are started by employees and managers of current operating restaurants and some graduating from culinary schools. It's my thought the culinary graduates would be prime targets for restaurant names even if they're going to work for someone else right out of school. I know if I dreamed of starting a seafood restaurant and I was really good at preparing filet of sole, I might be thinking of a "catchy" name for my restaurant. I don't know if any of this involves AI, but if it does, I know there's tons of information out there that can help. Thanks Bob

 

[Recons.Com]

Does someone know if the big operations, like Huge Domains, use AI in their acquisition, pricing and renewal decisions. I presume they use some kind of algorithm, probably overseen by human intervention, but do they actually use true AI as in software that gradually teaches itself to be better. They clearly have a big enough operation that it would seem they could do it if they decided to.

Also interested to what degree that GoDaddy implement true AI. They have access to a huge resource to learn from.

I have always wondered what Google's long term plan in the domain space is. Clearly they have an unfair advantage through dominance in search. Now they have become a top tier registrar - e.g. in top 10 in world for .com registrations. They have delegated some new gTLDs and have a bunch more sitting there. As @Ategy notes they are the masters of AI. So they could, if desired, leapfrog to a really dominant tool for valuation, information sources, etc. for any domain. Those who have invested a lot in developing domain intelligence services must be constantly looking over their shoulder at Google. Would be interesting to know their aspirations with respect to domain names.

Thanks for thread. Interesting topic. Probably far more questions than answers.

Bob

You don't need AI for that. You just need good old data mining and statistical analysis.

AI nowadays is often used as buzzword to replace the above.

True AI can help in many other ways, though.

 

[Mister Funsky]

You just need good old data mining and statistical analysis.

AI nowadays is often used as buzzword to replace the above.

Exactly.

As Frank shared above...AI is much more advanced and serious. I would be willing to bet very few entities on the planet are using true stand alone artificial intelligence that is learning and can re-write its parameters of operation. The day it (AI) becomes a commonplace solution for business and personal needs, is the day humans take another backward step on the evolutionary ladder...but maybe I am just a pessimist.

 

[Abdullah Abdullah]

No doubt domainers way smarter than me are working toward a better way to market/sell domain names. While artificial intelligence is being used by retailers like Amazon to target prospects, realtors are also using AI to target home buyers.

I asked the question, is SEO artificial intelligence? No, but if you google "Is SEO artificial intelligence", you'll learn how AI empowers SEO.

Our brains are actually computers that if coordinated could develop one hell of a program that would target domain prospects rather than wait for these prospects to find us.

I believe I know enough about sales and marketing in general to provide credible input to make more domain sales to the real estate industry, the healthcare industry, and the food/restaurant industries.

Final questions...what, if anything do you know about AI and how it relates to selling domains? Do you know any one individual or company that's actively pursuing AI solutions for outbound domain sales? Inquiring minds would luv to know. Thanks

Great thread. I like the title. I think people with big portfolios use some sort of apps to manage their domains, whether it is sending emails or tracking everything from offers to expiration dates, and other domain statutes

 

[.X.]

I think AI is in full swing in the domain industry, I know it is in the general retail industry, the data collects and parses what the hot selling items are, how much profit is made off the product and gives suggestions on higher returns, i have seen this action myself, it is mind boggling to say the least.

The domain name industry has grown so large in such a short period of time, I can only imagine the AI scripts that are running and gathering intelligence at warp speed , Parsing the dropped domains , catching the dropped domains, even selling domain names.

As far as outbound selling, That is a very very difficult task, with auto dial bots and such on list of bad things in society, i doubt much AI could work its way to potential buyers, I don't see anything other than what we have now, bots that can seek out potential end user buyers information and solicited emails and phone calls which i myself can't stand.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

I think AI is in full swing in the domain industry, I know it is in the general retail industry, the data collects and parses what the hot selling items are, how much profit is made off the product and gives suggestions on higher returns, i have seen this action myself, it is mind boggling to say the least.

The domain name industry has grown so large in such a short period of time, I can only imagine the AI scripts that are running and gathering intelligence at warp speed , Parsing the dropped domains , catching the dropped domains, even selling domain names.

As far as outbound selling, That is a very very difficult task, with auto dial bots and such on list of bad things in society, i doubt much AI could work its way to potential buyers, I don't see anything other than what we have now, bots that can seek out potential end user buyers information and solicited emails and phone calls which i myself can't stand.

With AI, outbound marketing can be more subliminal in nature. For example, I'm sure enough data is collected to determine who is more apt to go into the restaurant business then who's not. Thus someone like Go Daddy or Huge Domains can pitch them from afar. I've said ever since arriving here on NP 24 months ago that I'm a marketing guy first, a business guy second and a domainer a distant third. That hasn't changed a lot, but I'm told by my peers that I'm improving at the name game.

AI should be able to capture enough information on most people to determine whether on not they have an interest to buy a domain either today or sometime in the future. Obviously professions like realtors, sales and marketing majors, restaurant managers, chefs, and culinary students are perfect targets for AI, and if I can figure it out, certainly artificial intelligence can

 

[Ostrados]

as far as I know
AI is defined as

"software that writes software
and updates itself"

That is not accurate! AI does not write software.

AI simply runs on an algorithm and updates database, the algorithm is fixed, the database is variable. What the AI does is that it updates input weights in the database to make future choices more accurate, after a feedback from previous outputs.

If we reach a point at which an AI can write a new software then we reach what is called "Singularity" which is the point where AI can design AI. Singularity is dangerous because the AI can evolve after it unpredictably like a virus or even worse.

 

[Mister Funsky]

If we reach a point at which an AI can write a new software then we reach what is called "Singularity" which is the point where AI can design AI. Singularity is dangerous because the AI can evolve after it unpredictably like a virus or even worse

That is a great way to put it. This is what I have tried to say in other posts but could not get it organized in my thoughts...with your permission, I may use your post from time to time to explain how I think things will progress in the not too distant future. It will not be a pleasant time for humans once singularity is reached.

 

[Ostrados]

That is a great way to put it. This is what I have tried to say in other posts but could not get it organized in my thoughts...with your permission, I may use your post from time to time to explain how I think things will progress in the not too distant future. It will not be a pleasant time for humans once singularity is reached.

Ofcourse you can use it!
cheers

 

[frank-germany]

That is not accurate! AI does not write software.

AI simply runs on an algorithm and updates database, the algorithm is fixed, the database is variable. What the AI does is that it updates input weights in the database to make future choices more accurate, after a feedback from previous outputs.

If we reach a point at which an AI can write a new software then we reach what is called "Singularity" which is the point where AI can design AI. Singularity is dangerous because the AI can evolve after it unpredictably like a virus or even worse.

yes so your definition has no "intelligence" at all
neither artificial nor good made

its just a "script"

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I found this on Wikipedia a good description of technological singularity. That term, also, is recently used more broadly to mean approaching knowing as much as can be known about something, but the original and pure definition is along the lines suggested by @Ostrados above.

I think the semantics of what we call it, and whether AI is simply a code or needs to incorporate machine learning also, is interesting but not central to the overall point. Using an analogy. I want to go by public transit from point A to point B in some complex city where there are many choices. I could ask a person who knows the city and they would tell me. I could use Google Maps and I would argue in most cases Google Maps is better optimized. So to me that is AI, it is competitive with what even an informed human can do.

So how might AI inform domain investing if it could be sufficiently "intelligent"? A few possibilities...

• It could rank order domains in terms of likelihood to sell, and help acquisition choices. Related to this it would do the bidding on auctions including when to stop and when to place bids.
• It could generate a list of potential users for any specific domain name.
• It might inform pricing, but taking into account how price and probability of sale are related to optimize the price. That is what price point is optimum for this domain name?
• For the end user, it might find the 15 best domains available for their application (like I described earlier). I actually see this as the most exciting way someone can leap ahead with current AI and interactive dialog systems. Make search modern and an order of magnitude better and you will dominate.
• It might use trends, social media, big data, etc. to possibly optimize an advertising or social media campaign to sell specific domains, along the lines of what @ThatNameGuy was looking into with the thread
• It could generate a very complete report for any specific name showing things like comparator sales, related TMs, perhaps expert ratings on the name, search and advertiser stats, visual and audio memorability, similar domain names available, developed websites in the niche, etc. We do that manually now. I think we already have AI (or maybe it is not even AI) to instantly generate a professional looking report that instantly gave us that. Of course we already have services that do some of these things, but I would argue not as completely as possible.

Of course singularity would mean one AI system got better than all of the others and bought up all the good names and had near 100% of sales and put all domainers out of business .

Bob

 

[Ostrados]

yes so your definition has no "intelligence" at all
neither artificial nor good made

its just a "script"

It is not my definition it is how it works.

yes it is a script, learning happens by modifying database not by modifying the script itself.

It is more like an equation like:
w1*X + w2*Y + w3*Z ....

where weights w1,w2,w3.. are constants that get updated and changed after each script run to minimize output error.

And X, Y, Z... are the actual variables in the code.

So the equation (algorithm) itself does not change, while weights are changed continuously in database.

This is just a simplistic description in reality it is much more complex and involves multi layers.

 

[Lox]

WIPO Begins Public Consultation Process on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Policy

read more (wipo)

 

[ksusha64]

AI will take over the world. You are right my friend.

 

[twiki]

AI will take over the world. You are right my friend.

When the AI will be able to code itself, we are done.

Obsolete model.

Edit: The funny thing is, we're going there anyway.

 

[twiki]

yes so your definition has no "intelligence" at all
neither artificial nor good made

its just a "script"

@Ostrados is correct. That is artificial intelligence, even if using a fixed algorithm. Even scripts are some form of very basic intelligence, if they collect data and are able to improve the output via a feedback loop. (That's what "intelligent" is mostly, able to learn from experience)

Our brains are the same. We use fixed algorithms and structures developed over millennia. Having visual centers, hearing centers, etc etc. The structure is the same, all humans can commonly memorize and juggle with 7 items at once but not more. What changes is the data, the data in affects how the data is handled by using previous data patterns as a mould, which is still data, not self programming.

We cannot "edit" our brains, at least not with nowadays technology.

On the other hand, a true singularity is something out of this world - a brain that can change its own structure as it pleases. Over time, left at its will, could become billion times smarter than all humanity's intelligence combined.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

AI will take over the world. You are right my friend.

"How is Peddler different to other “social shopping” platforms?
We use an innovative artificial intelligence system (that we created) which analyses data from forums anywhere on the web to find out what the consumer wants – nobody else does that."

https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2018/02/5-minutes-james-klymowsky-founder-peddler/

After reading this and discovering that PeddlerBrands.com was available for purchase I started yet another portfolio to include names like; PhonePeddler and SilkPeddler.

Now I have a call in to Mr Klymowsky to see if he might like to partner with me

 

[Joe N]

"How is Peddler different to other “social shopping” platforms?
We use an innovative artificial intelligence system (that we created) which analyses data from forums anywhere on the web to find out what the consumer wants – nobody else does that."

https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2018/02/5-minutes-james-klymowsky-founder-peddler/

After reading this and discovering that PeddlerBrands.com was available for purchase I started yet another portfolio to include names like; PhonePeddler and SilkPeddler.

Now I have a call in to Mr Klymowsky to see if he might like to partner with me

Just be careful, Rich... Legally and ethically speaking, I think that might not reflect well on you. Registering names that contain an existing brand name, and then contacting that company with an intent to profit from the names, could be seen as a trademark violation.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Just be careful, Rich... Legally and ethically speaking, I think that might not reflect well on you. Registering names that contain an existing brand name, and then contacting that company with an intent to profit from the names, could be seen as a trademark violation.

lol, nothing ever reflects poorly on me...i'm sort of blessed that way Obviously my "Good Faith" intent in contacting the company went way over your head.

 

[Joe N]

lol, nothing ever reflects poorly on me...i'm sort of blessed that way Obviously my "Good Faith" intent in contacting the company went way over your head.

Actually you were pretty vague in how you described your intent, but asking to work with another business is typically motivated by a desire to profit from the partnership. You had something else in mind?

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Actually you were pretty vague in how you described your intent, but asking to work with another business is typically motivated by a desire to profit from the partnership. You had something else in mind?

Actually you were pretty vague in how you described your intent, but asking to work with another business is typically motivated by a desire to profit from the partnership. You had something else in mind?

Suggest you read this; https://blog.101domain.com/corporat...O2-RwfD-JLP0uMGH9eAxm4CHoVMwvLKsaAu9cEALw_wcB

Then you do your best to figure out my faith and my intent. Then maybe we can get back on topic and discuss the AI with regards to outbound sales. God this industry has HUGE problems, and they're not me

 

[Joe N]

Suggest you read this; https://blog.101domain.com/corporat...O2-RwfD-JLP0uMGH9eAxm4CHoVMwvLKsaAu9cEALw_wcB

Then you do your best to figure out my faith and my intent.

Yeah, so if you scroll down on that page a bit, I was concerned because it sounded like your idea of registering "peddler" names and then approaching Peddler with them might meet the three UDRP conditions.

The three conditions are:

1. Complainant must prove the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights.

2. Complainant must prove the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interest in respect of the domain name.

3. Complainant must prove the domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Yeah, so if you scroll down on that page a bit, I was concerned because it sounded like your idea of registering "peddler" names and then approaching Peddler with them might meet the three UDRP conditions.

The three conditions are:

1. Complainant must prove the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights.

2. Complainant must prove the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interest in respect of the domain name.

3. Complainant must prove the domain name was registered and is being used in bad faith.

EXACTLY

 

[Joe N]

EXACTLY

I guess you don't have any insight to offer, but for newer investors this is a great example of situations that should be avoided when buying and selling domain names.

Some domainers have been able to profit by actively soliciting trademarked names to the TM holders, but over the long run I don't believe the damage to your reputation is worth the risk. Not to mention the potential for costly legal implications.

Anyway, apologies for getting side-tracked, but that was important to point out.