Promo Insiders: Talking Tech at the ASI Power Summit
Futurist and event speaker Sam Maule reflects on this year’s executive event in Arizona and predicts how AI will change the promo industry.
Technology is advancing quicker than we can fathom, and humankind will be challenged to keep up.
That’s the reality that Sam Maule, tech futurist, head of business development at payments software platform Moov and a speaker at the 2025 ASI Power Summit, discussed at the executive event last month in Scottsdale, AZ.
“We’ve never seen technology at the pace of change that we’re living through now, especially with artificial intelligence,” said Maule on the Promo Insiders podcast post-event. “Everyone will be in a continuous learning pattern. You’re never going to be able to sit still and coast, which to be honest, why would you want to? That’s boring. So, it’s going to just be a continuous learning thread because this technology is changing so fast.”
When it comes to the promo industry, said Maule, AI will take over the everyday tasks, such as writing marketing copy and synthesizing meeting notes. That will allow people to be more creative and future-focused.
“Personalization is going to be such an incredible leap, being able to personalize clothing articles, the promo products,” he said, “really fine-tuning them and personalizing them on the fly is going to be a huge leap forward.”
Coming up on the horizon is what’s called agentic AI, where AI-powered bots strategize and make decisions on behalf of an organization. Maule reiterated that that can be a scary thought.
“AI is now learning off of AI, but where’s the creative spark, the human spark?” he said. “That’s something we can’t lose. Your moat is your data, your people, your IP. There’s never been a time in history where you need to protect that more and embrace that more. That’s your competitive advantage.”
Key Takeaways
• Maule emphasized that in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape, the most critical skill is the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn. With AI driving unprecedented change, professionals must embrace a mindset of lifelong, adaptive learning to stay relevant.
• AI isn’t just another technology – it’s a transformative ecosystem that will impact every sector and human interaction. From automation to personalization, AI’s influence will rival or surpass past innovations like the internet or smartphones.
• In the near term, AI’s effects may seem “boring” because they’ll focus on automating repetitive, administrative and low-value tasks. This shift will free humans to focus on creative, strategic and high-impact work.
• AI will drive hyper-personalization in the promo industry, allowing companies to tailor merchandise and experiences dynamically and at scale. This will redefine how brands engage with audiences.
• Maule warned that AI must remain human-centered. Overreliance on generative models trained on AI-produced content risks losing creativity and authenticity. Companies’ true “moats” will be their people, proprietary data and intellectual property.
• The coming years will bring dramatic societal shifts. Maule noted that education, governance and work systems are unprepared for the speed of change. Ethical concerns, like AI-driven scams, “AI therapy” and digital companionship, highlight how society must catch up to technology.
• Maule outlined next steps for industry leaders, which will help them stay competitive and ethical:
• Support people through retraining and emotional stability.
• Educate yourself about AI and emerging tech.
• Clean and manage your data – bad data leads to bad AI.