I’ve been thinking a lot about AI recently. It’s hard not to – every time I open social media, someone’s talking about how it’s going to revolutionize marketing. And in a lot of ways, it already has.
I’ve used AI to brainstorm ideas, summarize information and even research when Google didn’t give me the results I needed. Sometimes, it can help teams work faster, juggle more and think of ideas we may have missed. But its content can be lifeless, it fails to understand a brand’s voice and sometimes it tries to sound so human it’s stiff and inauthentic.
How do I feel about AI? It’s a mixed bag, but I’m slightly more curious than cautious.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
AI is great at getting things started. If I’m staring at a blank page or facing writer’s block when writing ad copy, AI can get the wheels turning by giving me some initial ideas. It won’t be final copy, but it might provide some phrases or angles worth exploring.
It also prospers when it comes to speed. Whether it’s pulling data through research like different publications or recommending enhancements and removals to any copy, AI can increase efficiency. Then with the saved time, I can more quickly present ideas to the team and start further discussion. (Because no machine ever can replace the understanding that comes from a good conversation.)
But I’ve also learned not to hand over the reins. AI doesn’t know the subtleties that we know about our clients. It often does not understand certain cultural contexts, especially recent ones that occur. Whenever there’s emotional weight in a story or other content, it struggles to understand it like marketers do.
So what’s my stance?
I like to use AI, but I’m not outsourcing my brain to it. I think it can make me a better account executive – as long as I treat it like a tool, not a crutch. I still have to bring my own strategy, creativity and care into my work. That’s where the real value is.
And maybe that’s the biggest shift – learning how to work with AI instead of worrying whether it will replace us. Marketing is still about connecting with people and creating something that gets their attention. And that’s a job I still want to do myself.
