Marketers Believe AI Will Eliminate Jobs — Just Not Theirs

In a year filled with headlines documenting the rise of artificial intelligence, one of the many questions that remains unanswered is how the technology will affect the job market. Will it enhance human productivity or make people obsolete?

Figures from an exclusive poll of more than 350 ADWEEK readers revealed 46% of respondents believe AI will eliminate more marketing jobs than it creates. That’s a larger percentage than the 8% who think the opposite will happen.

The survey ran online from Dec. 17 through Dec. 20

At the same time, most respondents appeared confident AI won’t make them personally redundant, as 67% indicated they’re not worried about the technology taking their job.

Around two-thirds of respondents said they worked for either a brand, media company, or advertising agency.

Other than job security, another persistent question tied to AI’s ascent is the technology’s relationship with creativity.

In 2024, companies from Apple to Coca-Cola to Toys “R” Us encountered backlash for either suggesting AI was a step above human imagination or using the tool to produce ads and other marketing material.

More ADWEEK readers signaled they disapprove of how much brands are currently using AI in their creative than approve. The results point to a tricky road ahead for companies looking to give the technology a bigger role in their marketing strategies.

On a related note, nearly half of ADWEEK readers deemed 2024 a less creative year for advertising compared to 2023. About one in five survey participants, meanwhile, said the ad industry was more creative in 2024 than 2023.

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