- Published: Oct 26, 2023
- 8 min. read
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Savannah SwansonLead Digital & Social Trends Writer
- Savannah is a content marketer with editorial experience spanning several businesses. Specializing in social media and marketing trends, she loves talking about the latest developments in online marketing. When she’s not writing, Savannah loves traveling, hoarding books and coffee mugs, and adoring her cat. Please don’t ask her about famous true crime cases, or else she’ll tell you all about her theories and get absolutely no work done.
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are evolving every day. With that, new use cases are constantly emerging, causing more businesses to complete tasks with AI. This growing dependence on AI has a lot of people asking, “Will AI replace marketing jobs?” and “Will AI replace digital marketers?”
While AI is taking the marketing world by storm, have no fear, we’re not about to tell you AI is taking over the world as we know it. Let’s explore how AI has helped digital marketers and how it lacks some essential skills that marketing needs.
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The AI revolution is already here
Whether you like it or not, AI and all its friends have already taken over the marketing world. But when I say, “taken over,” I don’t mean we’re in a I, Robot situation where human marketing professionals will be extinct in coming years. Far from that, actually.
From machine learning to natural language processing tools (NLPs) and large language models (LLMs), the emergence of AI has significantly impacted how marketers and business leaders carry out day-to-day tasks and projects. 50% of marketing professionals already use AI for their marketing strategies, and another 29% plan to use it in the future.
AI Terminology
- Artificial intelligence (AI): A system that uses machine learning and algorithms to simulate human intelligence
- Machine learning: A type of AI that enables machines to automatically learn from sets of data
- Natural language processing (NLP): A type of AI that studies how computers interpret and generate data in human language
- Large language models (LLMs): AI trained through text data to understand and generate new content
AI technology has carved a niche for itself in marketing in obvious and distinct ways.
Below are just a few ways AI is used in the marketing industry:
- Chatbots
- Customer service
- Automation
- Data collection
- Campaign personalization
- Translation
- Social listening
Again, these are only a few examples of AI use cases. If you want to learn more about how marketers use AI, gain more insight from real marketing leaders below!
200+ Senior Marketers Dish on How They Use AI
So, will AI replace marketing jobs?
Will AI replace marketing jobs?
Yes, AI will replace and displace various marketing jobs, affecting some marketers more than others. However, while AI may replace a number of mundane marketing jobs, it is highly unlikely that it will completely replace marketers themselves.
If you’re wondering, “Will AI replace marketing jobs,” there are two sides to consider.
Yes, AI will replace and displace various marketing jobs, affecting some marketers more than others. It’s inevitable, especially with the rate at which marketing professionals and businesses are adopting AI tools.
But the jobs AI replaces or “takes over” are ones that many marketers see as time-consuming or don’t think much about to begin with, like analytics or simple customer service.
But will AI replace marketers? While it may replace a number of mundane marketing jobs, it is highly unlikely that AI will replace marketers themselves.
Why, you ask? Marketing is all about creativity, empathy, and understanding human behavior. Successful marketing needs originality and a creative spark only humans can possess. Despite its efforts to replicate it, AI doesn’t have that capacity.
To demonstrate these points, keep reading to learn more about four marketing jobs AI can replace and four marketing jobs AI can’t replace.
3 marketing jobs impacted by AI
We briefly touched on it, but now let’s look a little more in-depth at some marketing jobs impacted by AI:
1. Data collection and analytics
When doing research, it takes time to gather the right sources, analyze them, extract key points, and summarize information. AI, on the other hand, can do it in the blink of an eye. Through marketing AI tools, the data collection and analysis process takes less time, leaving more time for marketers to draw conclusions from findings and make data-driven decisions.
With the help of customer data that’s been collected and analyzed, AI can replace marketing jobs we don’t usually think about, like identifying the needs and preferences of audience segments, connecting with leads at different touchpoints, and more, all in a snap.
2. Online customer service and support
As mentioned earlier, one of the marketing jobs impacted by AI is customer service. Human customer service representatives can’t be available to help users online 24/7. With chatbots powered by AI and trained by your team on different prompts, users can enjoy 24/7 customer service even when your staff isn’t available.
Marketing AI for customer service helps your customers get the help they need fast and efficiently. It not only offers support to your customer service representatives, but it frees up more time for them by answering simple customer questions. While AI takes care of the easy questions, your representatives can dedicate additional time to help customers requiring more one-on-one assistance.
3. Content ideation
If you’ve been following AI’s impact on marketing and business, you’ve likely heard how teams use platforms like ChatGPT to create and brainstorm content. 44% of marketers already use AI for content creation and ideation in 2024, doing things like identifying content holes, finding ways to expand on topics, developing potential writing outlines, and more.
With AI technology constantly evolving, it’s not unlikely that content creation will become even more reliant on AI, with even more businesses using it to develop more in-depth content plans and article outlines.
4 reasons AI can’t replace marketers
Marketing is more than just trying to sell something or get someone to act. AI lacks a few key attributes of marketing jobs that AI cannot replace or eliminate.
1. AI lacks in-depth critical thinking
AI excels at gathering information and analyzing data, but at the end of the day, AI lacks the critical thinking skills needed to make decisions. It can help plan and develop ideas and strategies, but AI can’t account for unique factors that may influence a decision.
So, will AI replace marketing jobs that require decision-making skills? Not anytime soon — AI would need to learn and internalize critical thinking skills and effectively process outside factors affecting a decision in order to successfully make choices for companies.
2. AI doesn’t write with human emotion and empathy
Try as it might to sound human, AI cannot write content with the same sense of compassion and human emotion as real human marketers can. Sure, you could prompt ChatGPT to write a blog post in a humorous voice, but it’ll never translate emotions into writing in a way that sounds genuine or natural.
Great writing that connects with people and leaves a lasting impression on them features relatable, human emotions. People react to things they can relate to. Try as it might, AI is not human, and can’t accurately reflect genuine human emotions.
That brings us to our next point.
3. AI won’t build lasting relationships on its own
Because AI lacks real emotions, it also can’t build meaningful relationships with leads and customers as humans can.
AI programs can only do so much, and in a world where connecting with customers is vital to marketing success, a simple prompt to ChatGPT won’t be enough to convince a prospect to do business with you. So, rest assured — sales, outreach, and copywriting roles are marketing jobs AI can’t replace.
4. AI can’t develop original ideas
AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E gather information across the Internet and use it to come up with responses to user queries. That said, AI can’t come up with wholly original ideas because it relies on the ideas and findings of others to help users. So, in many aspects, content creation is a marketing job AI can’t fully replace. Sure, it can assist content creators with their work, but it can’t successfully do the job for them.
AI is a tool — embrace it!
If you’re still apprehensive about using AI in marketing, we get it. It’s a new tool that can do a lot, so it’s normal to feel nervous about it all. But while the prospect of using AI sounds scary, it’s a tool that should be embraced, and used responsibly, because it can do a lot of good for your business.
Take it from WebFX’s VP of Business Development Trevin Shirey:
Like a lot of emerging trends, you need to pick your spots on when to use AI. There’s an early mover advantage for companies that find ways to roll it out very aggressively but that also comes with increased risk.
If you aren’t sure where to start, go with some lower stakes options. Think of a few marketing processes that have gone stale. Could AI make them better? Do you have any marketing byproducts sitting by idly (internal resources, outdated PDFs, longform interviews)? Use AI to help repurpose or re-energize them. These are some lower risk tactics that could still have nice long-term dividends for marketing teams.
There’s no need to over-promise to marketing teams on the impact of AI. Find some ways to save a few minutes per week for your teams and then go from there. This allows everybody time to trial AI in a practical way.
Even if your company is planning on using AI more aggressively, you can still take AI integration one step at a time. When people are apprehensive about it, it’s more beneficial to view AI as a tool that you can harness for good rather than an entity that’s going to “take over” jobs.
Trevin says:
Stay focused on the same value-add and goals you’ve been working towards. AI is another item in your toolbox. You don’t want to be afraid of it, but rather open to learning about it and using it where appropriate. AI still requires plenty of human guidance, even if your marketing organization wants to use it aggressively.
In the end, AI can be an accelerant to your goals and the value you are bringing to an organization. Marketing is all about human connection, which AI can’t replicate. But it might allow you to create that magic a little easier.
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Get top-notch AI integration services from WebFX
AI integration is about more than just investing in a new tool and jumping into the next project. It requires proper planning and implementation that doesn’t happen overnight. Luckily, WebFX offers AI and GPT integration services so you can start embracing AI without the stress of having to integrate it by yourself.
WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency home to 500+ team members who stay on top of the latest AI and martech trends. We’re one of the best digital marketing agencies in the world and the top Atlanta digital marketing agency. With over 28 years of experience, we can help you responsibly use AI tools to help drive your business forward.
Contact us online or give WebFX a call at 888-601-5359 to start your AI journey today!
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Savannah is a content marketer with editorial experience spanning several businesses. Specializing in social media and marketing trends, she loves talking about the latest developments in online marketing. When she’s not writing, Savannah loves traveling, hoarding books and coffee mugs, and adoring her cat. Please don’t ask her about famous true crime cases, or else she’ll tell you all about her theories and get absolutely no work done.
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