INBOUND 2024: Copilots, Agents and AI – Oh My!

It may have been mentioned once or twice, but we’ve done a little work with HubSpot over the years. Not for nothing, we’re low-key HubSpot OGs that enthusiastically make the annual pilgrimage to INBOUND in Boston. For this native Masshole (can I say that?), it’s a particularly special time as I get to retrace my steps along the cobblestone streets and bayside bars that are as near and dear as old friends.

This year’s conference was full of star power (Serena Williams and Ryan Reynolds), major product releases and, if possible, even more AI than last year’s AI lovefest. It was a lot to take in, but here are some of the big headlines and a hot take or two.

Breeze Copilot – Formerly known as ChatSpot, HubSpot’s AI assistant got a new name and an upgraded interface. Let’s start with the name, which is a nod to how easy it makes formerly manual tasks. I can only imagine that the threat of litigation from Lionel Richie and the rest of the Commodores prevented them from going with Sunday Morning, which would be a true earworm.

As for access, you can get to the Breeze Copilot from anywhere in HubSpot with a simple click. Once accessed, you can have it tackle a variety of tasks on your behalf, from generating content and adding information to your CRM to doing company research and prepping for sales calls. If you’re not sure what it can do, Breeze provides recommendations for common tasks.

AI Agents – Let’s start with the obvious question: What’s the difference between a copilot and an agent? Great question. It’s one I struggled with more than once from my seat at INBOUND. The Breeze Copilot has a broader application whereas its AI agents have a focus area and can perform more specific tasks.

HubSpot released for agents – content, prospecting, social and customer – that leverage AI to help automate manual tasks. To give you an idea of the types of tasks agents do, the Content Agent can take an e-book from your HubSpot files and quickly create a landing page, blog post and podcast.

BDRs/SDRs – We’ve been saying it for a while (self-congratulatory pat on the back) but BDRs and SDRs fulfill a vital role, helping to surface more sales opportunities while freeing up your salespeople to close. Across the industry, there has been increasing chatter about these roles and INBOUND was no different, with service offerings that included both human talent and AI-powered solutions.

The Future of Dev – As generative AI continues to advance and refine, and models get better at writing code, there is a belief that development costs will decrease and it will become more accessible to less technical teams.

Last year there was a lot of discussion about how AI could eventually replace some content roles, especially low-level, lower-quality roles. It seems like the same may be true for development in the near future. While you’ll still need a talented developer for specialized custom work, most people will be able to build simple pages and elements on their own.

Sales Environment – We see it in our sales efforts and those of our clients, but it was enlightening to hear speakers acknowledge the challenges of the current sales environment as businesses take a wait-and-see approach to the economy, interest rates and the election.

That being said, most agree that there are signs of movement. At some point, deals will start closing again. Your best bet is to get in front of prospects now before the dam breaks so that you’re top-of-mind when they’re ready to buy.

Humanity – Actually, we didn’t hear much about this at INBOUND, but it’s my big takeaway. As more AI content is created, your experience and unique voice will be your biggest differentiator. Seeing Kara Swisher onstage – whip-smart, sarcastic, endlessly funny – made it clear that personality is powerful…and human.

AI is here to stay, and you should be thinking about how to use it. But you’ll have to find ways to inject some of your unique personality, experience and knowledge into everything you do. One line of thinking is that great human-created content will become a premium service. Because if done right, it will stand out. In marketing and sales, how you interact and engage with people will continue to matter and, arguably, could be more important than ever.

One – With its emphasis on AI development, and a push toward app and agent development, HubSpot is making a huge push to be a true all-in-one platform. Their new tagline says it all: “Easy, fast, unified.” The bet is that people don’t want to cobble together a stack of disparate AI tools but instead would prefer a unified experience that includes everything they need.

Holy (No) Cannoli – San Fran!

INBOUND 2024 promised a lot and delivered on most of it – with the tragic exception of me going cannoli-less over the week. One of the bigger surprises came on the last day when it was announced that INBOUND 2025 will be held in San Francisco. So go ahead and line me up an Irish coffee.

There’s a lot to unpack from last week, more than can be included here. If you want to learn more about HubSpot’s new releases or how you should (and shouldn’t) be integrating AI into your business, stay tuned. We’ll continue to report on all of it as we start accessing the tools and putting them to use.

What To Do Today: Don’t take my word for it. Check out INBOUND 2024 on demand and see for yourself what the buzz is about. Beyond the new products, there are dozens of educational sessions that most marketers will find helpful.