In order to understand the future of marketing through AI and consumer manipulation, one must look to the past. Hence, this section focuses on the origins of manipulation strategies and tactics. Big companies manipulating consumers is nothing new. AI is a high-tech successor to what has happened in the past.

It is important to understand that the future of manipulation by big companies using AI is a continuation of a massive system which began around 1830. For over 200 years, advertisements have been present everywhere, capturing people's attention and toying with their feelings, their personalities, and their emotional connections. One cannot move a mile in Emile Zola's book au Bonheur des dames without seeing or hearing an advertisement being broadcast. Indeed, marketing is older than we realize. Between 1830 and 1870, a majority of the methods used by GAFA and BATX today were developed, concepts including brand strategy, advertisement, display, promotion, and sales. All these terms look familiar, right? Ads are mostly placed where they can attract the targeted audience, that is, the consumers, either on televisions, the radio, printed newspapers, or billboards on the roadside. Most of these advertisements are located strategically where consumers can be easily found. Advertisements for PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch will have greatest impact if they are placed in front of teenagers, late in the night when this market segment usually surfs the Internet.

Manipulating through marketing is a question not only of target, but of how many product campaigns to initiate for the target(e. g. , launching, targeting, campaigning—all military terms). Consider shampoos and women. Women have the options to buy many different kinds of shampoo：shampoos for dry scalps, thicker hair, dyed hair, damaged hair, oily hair, and curly hair. There are even shampoos for specific issues such as clarifying shampoo, neutralizing shampoo for PH restoration, chelating shampoo, keratin shampoo, volumizing shampoo, gluten-free shampoo, sulfate-free shampoo, no-poo shampoo, fine hair shampoo, shampoos for everyday cleaning, sensitive scalps, dull hair, brittle hair, frizzy hair, anti-dandruff, shine, hydrating, soft hair, smoothing, organic and natural shampoo... the list could go on for pages. When you think about it, all these shampoos can wash women's hair；creating a desire with so many products, which is really only one and the same product, is the quintessence of manipulation. Advertisers and marketers make you believe all of these products are different, but what is the difference between a shampoo with a characteristic of“long hair”and a regular shampoo, aside from the fact that you will put more liquid in your hand?

The following section discusses the historical development of advertisements in the early years of commercial manipulation. bHQ1r5+0hNISlaC28Ovv6Xxg42LRZmF9Rf+7nZtC0/DGR5zeJKOvDyxWjilb4ELf