Artificial intelligence used to be a fantasy of the future, but now it is actively reshaping how we operate in the workplace. Much like how the printing press or the internet transformed communication forever, AI will soon be a ubiquitous part of our lives.
Yet, as with every leap forward, uncertainty lingers—nearly two-thirds of professionals feel overwhelmed by AI’s rise.
But AI isn’t here to steal jobs; it’s a creativity liberator. By taking on repetitive, manual tasks and enabling decisioning at a scale previously unimaginable, AI frees creatives to innovate, strategize and think big. This shift will change our relationship with technology; soon, we’ll expect our tools to understand us, grasp context and turn rough ideas into strategic outcomes. But to reap these benefits, we have to embrace it.
History shows that successful adaptation depends on a willingness to evolve. Remember MapQuest? Once the go-to for printed directions, it lost ground when real-time GPS and mobile-first features took off. Despite attempts to pivot, it couldn’t keep up with the rapid rise of Google Maps and Apple Maps.
Preparing for the future isn’t optional. Stop clinging to what’s known and embrace what could be. Now is the time to invest in AI tools, emphasize AI literacy and prioritize training to remain competitive.
Equip every team for AI impact
When 64% of marketing leaders say AI literacy is the most critical skill for success, the path forward is clear. AI isn’t just for data scientists; every team member, from entry-level to executive, should understand its potential. Education must be democratized and spread widely.
Leading companies are already paving the way. Dell, Johnson & Johnson, and Colgate-Palmolive all launched companywide curricula to educate employees on AI fundamentals, and they’re already reaping the benefits. At Klarna, the fintech company’s CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said that AI breakthroughs in customer interaction are delivering “superior experiences for our customers at better prices, more interesting challenges for our employees, and better returns for our investors.”
In a recent earnings call, Walmart’s CEO, Doug McMillon, echoed this sentiment, highlighting how AI is reshaping nearly every area of their business: “We’re anchored in the responsible use of AI while also moving with speed … to meet our future needs and scale these experiences. Today’s Walmart is different.” Expect more companies to build AI into their operations, form teams to measure impact and prepare for an AI-powered workplace.
Fuel creative breakthroughs with AI
AI is not just a productivity booster; it’s a creative enabler. Though 60% of leaders report artificial intelligence’s impact on streamlining operations and reducing costs, its influence on reigniting creative thinking in marketing is profound. Kipp Bodnar, HubSpot’s CMO, notes that AI might just be the boost marketers need to get back to their creative roots: “I think marketing has kind of already lost creative creativity, sadly, in a lot of ways,” he said earlier this year. “I’m an optimist. I think [AI is] gonna make it better.”
Many marketers are already seeing this positive impact: 1 in 2 marketers say AI has already shifted their roles to more strategic planning (51%), strengthened their focus on data-driven decision-making (48%) and reduced time spent on repetitive tasks (51%).
Meta’s CMO, Alex Schultz, has praised AI’s ability to help creative teams test and visualize ideas rapidly, simplify workflows and bring campaign-ready ideas to life at an unprecedented speed. Meta’s not alone; more than half of U.S. marketers now rely on AI to customize content, bridging the gap where human efforts alone can’t scale. It’s a win-win, right?
So this raises the question: as marketers get further down the data spreadsheet funnel, have we lost touch with what makes marketing powerful? Marketing has always been—and will always be—about the customer. AI is unshackling marketers and allowing their creativity to flourish, not at the expense of performance but in service of it. For companies like Victoria’s Secret, AI-driven platforms like Da Vinci are transformative: “We look to put the customer at the heart of everything we do,” said Lindsay Massey, VP of marketing. Delivering a better customer experience in turn delivers better customer results, like driving clicks, conversions and stronger connections.
As the industry equips teams to be AI-ready, we’re turning mundane tasks into opportunities for creativity and strategic thinking with marketers in the loop every step of the way. This approach not only amplifies innovation and performance but keeps the human touch at the heart of AI-driven marketing. We hold the keys. It’s on us to set our teams up for success.
