In the rush to adopt Artificial Intelligence, it’s easy to assume that automation is the answer to everything. But when you’re dealing with something as complex – and as human – as brand protection, a fully autonomous approach often falls short. When it does, you need human intelligence to make up the difference.
What's the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Intelligence?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems mimic human abilities like learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. The ultimate goal is creating machines that can operate independently of human intervention. Basically, it’s all about autonomy. AI learns from data to identify patterns and act without human involvement.
Impressive? Absolutely.
While AI can do lots of cool things, it’s not always the right fit – especially when nuance and judgment are key. For that, you need a human brain. And that’s where Augmented Intelligence (AuI) comes in.
Instead of replacing people, Augmented Intelligence is built to empower them. It combines the speed and scale of machines with the insight, expertise, and experience of human decision-making. These intelligence systems work alongside people, not instead of them – supporting better decisions and smarter actions.
AI vs AuI: The Key Differences
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Autonomous, pattern-driven, and operates independently: great for handling repetitive tasks.
- Augmented Intelligence: (AuI): Collaborative, insight-driven, and supports human decision-making.
At SnapDragon, we’re firm believers in the augmented approach – especially when it comes to brand protection. Combining AI-powered systems with human expertise is the best way to protect brands online.
How SnapDragon uses intelligent technologies to protect your brand
We don’t take a “whack-a-mole” approach to brand protection. Flooding marketplaces with takedown requests based on raw AI outputs might look productive, but it risks reputations, relationships, and compliance is likely to be low.
Instead, we use AI to surface threats, and human expertise to make smart decisions.
After all, there’s an art to what we do. It’s not just about spotting infringements; it’s about understanding them. There’s nuance to infringement analysis, expertise to ensure successful removal, and personalised communication tailored to sellers and platform representatives.
Our approach looks like this:
- AI tools sift and score potential Intellectual Property infringements across trademark, copyright, design and patent.
- Curated results are then reviewed by expert analysts. This human oversight ensures accuracy and consistency.
- Takedown requests are sent in the right way, at the right time. This increases the success rate, and ensures strong relationships with platform representatives.
The result? More effective takedowns. Better brand protection. Fewer repeat offenders.
The Tools Behind the Strategy: Augmented Intelligence in Action at SnapDragon
Augmented Intelligence supports our business processes and daily operations, as well as helping clients defend their Intellectual Property.
But what’s the technology supporting the humans?
- Logo Detection & Optical Character Recognition (OCR): These tools help us detect potential misuse of IP at speed and scale.
- Reinforcement Learning: Our systems improve over time based on analyst feedback—getting sharper with every case.
- Swoop, our proprietary platform, uses machine learning to prioritise relevant listings and eliminate the noise—saving hours of manual review.
These tools don’t replace our people. They free them up to focus on what they do best: applying critical judgement, building relationships, and securing lasting results.
Machine Learning + Human Insight = Faster, Smarter Brand Protection
As technology evolves, so will our approach. We’ll keep embracing new capabilities, but always in a way that protects what matters most: your brand.
Want to see how Augmented Intelligence could strengthen your brand protection strategy? Talk to us.
Kieron Smith
SnapDragon | CTO
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