AI in Marketing: Are Marketers Doomed?
A framework for mastering collaboration, not replacement.
The Marketing Apocalypse is imminent.
At least, that’s what recent surveys and reports about the impact of AI on marketing jobs are prophesying.
According to Forrester, AI will replace 4.9% of US jobs by 2030, with a higher-than-average level of displacement more likely for frontline marketers.
In an interview in late 2023, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman said that soon “95% of what marketers use agencies, strategists, and creative professionals for today will easily, nearly instantly and at almost no cost be handled by the AI — and the AI will likely be able to test the creative against real or synthetic customer focus groups for predicting results and optimizing. Again, all free, instant, and nearly perfect. Images, videos, campaign ideas? No problem.”
Perhaps they are exaggerating, right?
Marketing influencers like Randy Fishkin think so. He recently made a “bold prediction” on LinkedIn: “I don't think AI/LLMs are coming for your job." In fact, I'm willing to bet $5,000 (in a charitable donation) that in five years, less than 10% of all information-economy jobs and less than 5% of marketing jobs will be displaced by AIs.”
So, we have two sides here: those who believe AI will create more marketing jobs and those who believe it will replace most marketers.
How are we to think about this?
First, let’s look at any possible logical fallacies from both sides.
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