Will SkyNet (AI) terminate the modern marketing partner?

Before we begin, yes, this is another article about AI’s impact on industry. Albeit, one I guarantee you will appreciate if you’re a bit of a movie buff. I was recently watching James Cameron’s Terminator film series (“Get to the Choppa!”) and like any person who knows anything about AI, couldn’t help but go down a train of thought as to whether a self-aware ‘SkyNet’ AI system could take over the world - or my job? So it sparked the question, ‘Is SkyNet going to take over the role of the modern marketer?

5 years’ ago, that would have sounded like a question posed by a conspiracy theorist. Today, it’s a very realistic consideration. In 2023, 63% of marketing decision marketers had already invested in AI to support their long-term marketing strategy. But like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, the AI systems that marketers are using today are constantly learning and evolving - every week, there is a new generation AI model being released to the market, rendering the previous generations “(old, not) obsolete” - as Arnie would say.

Technology is moving quicker than we can adapt to it. But is it yet at a point where it can take over the role of your marketing partner? Absolutely not.

According to a study conducted by Survey Monkey, around half of the population of marketers who are incorporating AI into their strategies are using it for content marketing, SEO, social media and creating personalised marketing journeys. While this is an appropriate and valuable use of AI for the modern marketer, it is far from a state that negates the need for a marketer to make creative and strategic decisions based on a mix of qualitative, quantitative analysis, a deep understanding of target market and a creative approach to thinking.

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Bowing down to the machine

I consider myself to be one of these so-called ‘modern marketers’, which is why I make an effort to adapt to the introduction of new technology systems like AI. A high-performing marketer must do so. As Darwin conceptualised - ‘adapt or die’. 

Sure, one day like in Terminator 3, SkyNet will connect to the military network, become self-aware and kill thousands of marketing jobs. But there will still be a place for marketers like myself to provide value and remain relevant. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ‘Chat GPT’ are generative AI tools which absorb data and information provided by the user to generate solutions - however, they require a user to provide instruction and direction. They are currently and will continue to be used as a collaboration tool, rather than a replacement for marketing partners.

Rather than fear AI, your marketing partner should embrace it. This is an opportunity for both business owners and marketing professionals to improve their growth strategy. Sure, it changes the composition of the marketing role and creates an uncomfortable feeling of change, but in this case, change really is for the better.

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You're human, utilise it.

One thing marketers have going for them, which can never be taken away is that they’re human. Unlike AI, humans contain emotional intelligence and understanding. These are tools that help marketers to truly understand how their target audience is thinking, behaving, what they’re craving or feeling. It is said that emotions are what make us weak as humans, but they are what make us such sophisticated beings. 

There is a ceiling to the quantification of this data into a format that can be understood by AI. This is where marketers can shine - emotions are something that simply can’t be replicated by a machine. So don’t worry, if you’re human then you’ll be fine.

Let’s sum up. Yes, SkyNet (AI) poses a significant threat to the population (of marketing partners), but the threat is not extinction. It is more of a push to improve marketing and growth strategies by adopting a new, more efficient way of working. Plain and simple, if you resist, you’ll find yourself taken prisoner by the ‘Redundancy 3000’ terminator model. The world is moving forward and there will be some casualties along the way, but it seems that is what it’s going to take to make the transition into the new, AI-driven world.

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