The Cost of Intelligence is Collapsing

In 1996, Intel launched the ASCI Red Supercomputer.

It was the first machine to break 1 teraflop (1 trillion operations per second).

Price tag? $55 million.

Fast forward to 2023:

The iPhone 15 Pro, a consumer device that fits in your pocket, runs at 35 teraflops.

Price tag? $1,000.

That’s a 55x increase in power for 1/55,000th the cost.

Let that sink in.

We carry supercomputers in our pockets. And we’re barely using them.

While healthcare, housing, and education keep getting more expensive, intelligence is getting cheaper. Fast.

While that might be a fun stat for tech bros, this is actually the biggest untapped arbitrage in modern marketing.

Intelligence is the new infrastructure.

1. We’re entering the age of abundant intelligence.

Today, most companies still think of “intelligence” as:

• Strategy meetings

• Research analysts

• Expensive agencies

But in the next 2–3 years, every individual will have AI agents that can think, plan, and execute faster than entire departments.

The difference-maker will be architecture.

How well can you design workflows that turn intelligence into output?

2. AI agents are the new labor force.

If compute cost keeps collapsing, the average person will soon control more raw thinking power than a billion-dollar company had in the 1990s.

That means:

• 1-person teams outproducing large orgs

• Real-time feedback loops instead of static planning

• Strategy, execution, and iteration happening in minutes

Intelligence is no longer the constraint. You need direction.

3. The new CMO leverages intelligence, and not headcount.

Stop thinking in terms of org charts.

Start thinking in terms of:

• Process autonomy

• Agent design

• Signal loops

• Decision architectures

Instead of asking, “How big is your team?”

Ask, “How fast can your system think, learn, and act?”

These are tools I’ve found to amplify intelligence:

• Claude + ChatGPT — Rapid research, synthesis, and first-draft strategy

• Make.com — Orchestrate AI-assisted workflows without manual input

• Rewind AI / Loom — Document, recall, and repurpose insights at scale

• Notebook LM — Build your own internal knowledge model from your content

• Runway / Descript — Turn scripts and assets into full creative outputs

What used to take a full team is now possible with one person and the right tech stack.

Marc Andreessen: The US is in a AI Arms Race & It Decides The World’s Future

“AI agents will be like employees. Except they work 24/7, cost nothing, and never complain.” — Marc Andreessen, VC & technologist

Andreessen’s framing is crude, but directionally correct.

That’s where marketing leaders have to shift.

Real-world example: Adobe is rolling out AI agents for marketing tools. These embedded agents let brands automate decisioning and personalize experiences at scale. For instance, when a user lands on a site via a TikTok ad, the agent can infer their intent and tailor chat suggestions, inventory displays, or offers all without manul scripting.

You’ll need the infrastructure to let abundant intelligence do the work.

Watch the full Marc Andreessen video here.

Most marketers are still asking the wrong questions:

• “How many people do we need to hire?”

• “What’s our headcount plan for 2026?”

Instead, start asking:

• “What workflows can I delegate to AI today?”

• “How fast can I go from idea → insight → execution?”

• “Where is our bottleneck: data, decision-making, or design?”

The best CMOs will be the ones who build systems that think and move without them.

Pick one workflow this week and rebuild it with AI agents. Every small automation compounds into leverage.

Until next time,

— Mac

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When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. AI agents are becoming the new labor force. The question is: are you ready to use them? Schedule a strategy session and let’s design the workflows that will put you ahead.

2. Foster & Co. services. I work with marketing teams inside agencies, growth-stage startups and public companies.

3. Share CMO 3.0 with your team or network – Know someone who’d benefit from smarter marketing insights? Send them this link and help them level up.