Jake Abdullah on AI, authenticity, and why attention is today's most valuable currency

When Jake Abdullah first stepped into the media world in 1996, the rules were clear and the gatekeepers even clearer. Fast-forward nearly three decades, the former radio executive is now a solopreneur, business coach, and host for the Book of Jake on Youtube, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and a deep belief in the value of authenticity.

Speaking at Content 360 in Kuala Lumpur, Jake took the stage to reflect on his career journey, from leading at Astro to becoming an advocate for AI transformation. In a candid conversation, he urged brands and agencies alike to get uncomfortable, experiment fast, and adapt to a media landscape where attention, not airtime, is the new currency.

Don't miss: Content Champions: 10 brands leading the content charge in SEA

From the rise of AI influencers to the relevance of micro-creators, Jake shared about what it takes to stay relevant in a media environment defined by speed, scale, and storytelling. When asked about what holds business leaders and CEO's back from adopting AI, Jake said it was fear and denial: 

All of us are afraid, and it's completely normal. I'm afraid as well but I use it to my advantage.

"A response I've heard often is 'Oh, we don't need this', over and over. 30 years ago, when Facebook came about, my company at the time decided that nobody should have Facebook at work, but I fought for it," Jake added.

This was still at a time when Facebook users were "poking" each other. "I found it fascinating because this was a form of gamification. It got people's attention to check who was poking them. So I fought for the use of Facebook at Astro" he explained.

"To me, that's the same thing with AI now. We're going to be using it so much, and this is so much more than just ChatGPT," added Jake, saying that: 

If we don't jump on this now because of fear, the cost of implementation will be painful. 

As someone who is comfortable in the uncomfortable, the media veteran shared that today, it has become ingrained in his DNA to push for the adoption of new technologies and ideas.

"Necessity is the mother of all invention. I came from a very poor family, my father was a security guard. It was a compulsion for me to do better, because I didn't want to be poor. We have to grow and be uncomfortable," he shared. 

And that translates into his advocacy for business leaders to jump onto the AI bandwagon and do so quickly. "Suddenly, AI has become the elephant in the room, and I believe it's going to be even more transformative than the internet. Now as a solopreneur, being my own coffee lady, dispatch clerk, driver and secretary — it's amazing because I can have control with the speed that AI gives me," he noted.

He added:

Gone are the days where we sit across an agency, chat about something, and wait for two weeks for them to revert.

"These days, I go for a meeting to coach CEOs and what not, and within an hour they can get their notes and a follow-up. The cost of not enabling yourself with AI is going to be so expensive in the next couple of years, so that's something I'd advise business leaders to get on," added Jake. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: You have witnessed the full shift from traditional platforms such as TV, to radio, to today's digital-first reality. Being an avid consumer and an advocate for companies to embrace AI fully, how have you been navigating this change?

Jake: I started my career in 1996 professionally in Astro, and that was my foray into the world of radio. In terms of how things have transformed, I mentioned 20 years ago that watching radio would become the next big thing, and people were surprised to hear that, but I knew the advent of technology would be video at that particular time. 

Fast forward to now, I often speak about the currency of attention. We're all in a situation where we are being disrupted. We complain about it, but we are practitioners of it ourselves. First thing we do when we get up in the morning, we check to see who has liked our posts or commented on it. We are all guilty, and it's a dopamine effect.

But what if we used that for our budget? To me, media is media. Whether it's traditional media, new media, old media or digital media.

It's all about 'how do we disrupt people's attention?' Attention has become the number one currency, and I love that because we're in control of it.

The landscape has evolved a lot, because right now, the control is no longer at the hands of big media operators. Suddenly, the aunty selling nasi lemak in Seremban can go viral with over 1 million views. Attention is now at the hands of the average joe. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Given your extensive background in radio and media transformation, how do you see traditional broadcast platforms staying relevant amidst TikTok-styled content and AI-driven personalisation?

Jake: Two things. One is supply and demand, and the second is that you have to do what AI cannot. AI cannot meet your users or your viewers physically outside, and it cannot do a road tour. You have to figure out the gaps and change the fixed mindset of what radio is.

Radio now, has got to be more personality driven than purely about playing music.

If I wanted to listen to music I'd get into my car, put on the Bluetooth, and turn on Spotify. This is where most companies are stuck and stay fixated on. 

It also takes trial and error for media companies to balance creating click-worthy content and upholding journalistic integrity. Not everything will work. People click on and latch on to something for strange reasons.

For instance, I put up a photograph of my neighbour's cat looking like she's talking to me, and people like that. Then I put up some really great content, and it doesn't go viral. The most important thing is persistence. The data is there, and you have to be consistent with your brand.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: You have a unique B2B2C online personality. You've got fitness content on Instagram, as well as content about personal skills and business-related stories on LinkedIn. What behind this decision, and what's your advice for Malaysian marketers looking to be everywhere all at once?

Jake:

I'm just being as authentic as possible.

I don't think people want to hear another post about someone being humbled to be promoted as vice president, or that they're thrilled about something. It becomes wallpaper. 

My best post was about my mom, who was my best finance teacher. What are we trying to sell? We're trying to capture people's attention, to get people to actually look at us. And if it's real, it'll work. Those posts about being humble, thanking people, don't really work. My best viral stories are the ones which are most authentic.

As for the usage of online platforms, you have to pick and choose. For me, I like using LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube Shorts, not so much TikTok. That works for me because I have a very focused audience. Although with the advent of AI tools it makes it easier to cut up videos and place them anywhere, that's not the point.

What do you want to achieve? What are the returns? You cannot be everywhere. When I put something up on a platform such as LinkedIn and it gets an engagement of 100,000, I'll study it and find out why it works, compared to if I put that content up on TikTok. So, you have to test it out for yourself to see what works. 

Related articles:  
Beyond Baby Shark: Pinkfong founder's gameplan for business longevity post virality  
'A marketer has no choice but to understand every single thing,' says Ng Yau Chuan       
How marketers can stop making slapstick comedy in ads