There has been plenty of buzz in the programmatic industry these last few years on algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning. It can be a little overwhelming to hear these buzzwords everywhere you turn. What does it really mean for your everyday, though? In a matter of minutes, machine learning can do the heavy lifting and data analysis that used to take humans days. This means more time in your day to focus on the other facets of your job.

There’s a plethora of use cases for tapping into the powerful technology available to today’s marketers. Some of the most popular optimizations to turn over to the machine are creative and site optimizations. With the latest algorithms in place, tech programs can analyze thousands of creative variations and employ multivariate testing with very little strain on the marketer executing the campaign. The programs are able to run all of these tests while ingesting and analyzing data to adjust the creative being served. Similarly, optimizing between the tens of thousands of websites your inventory was running on in the programmatic space used to require deep analysis within large data sets. However, with the assistance of a program’s AI, these optimizations can be done with little to no effort from a marketer.

So, what’s the “right” mix of machine vs. man? That’s up to you and your team’s level of expertise. Somewhere in the middle is a good place to start – take advantage of the technology that is out there to allow you to work smarter, not harder. At the same time, make sure you understand the logic behind the machine learning you’re tapping into, monitor the updates being implemented to ensure you agree with the decisions being made. Always ask partners to help you understand exactly what their AI entails instead of being left in the dark on the logic they’re using.