Twelve months ago, most marketing teams I spoke with were cautiously circling the edges of AI - curious, but conservative. But in just a year, we’ve gone from guarded experimentation to full-on integration. AI isn’t a side project anymore. It’s woven into how we can work, plan, create, and grow.
Speaking with agency heads and peers over the past few weeks alone, its clear AI is not just a strategic play niw - it’s a cultural one. Innovative leaders doesn’t just push for AI adoption, they’re now rallying employees to think differently, experiment relentlessly, and see AI as an amplifier of human potential, not a replacement.
As a Computer Science graduate, I’ve always been curious about innovation and quick to adopt emerging tech in marketing. My own AI journey started back in 2017, launching Adobe’s AI offering at the time, Adobe Sensei. Since then I launched AI Search at Yext in 2020, lead AI adoption within VMware marketing in 2022 and more recently work within LettsGroup, pioneers of an AI-powered VentureFactory that helps startup ventures get from idea to exit.
In tech you’ve always needed a learn-it-all mentality but Kieran Flanagan’s recent LinkedIN post highlighted two emerging trends that are particular to AI:
Employees need to take ownership of their AI knowledge. You can't rely on others to teach you. You have to do the work.
Before asking for more headcount and resources, leaders should ask if AI can do this.
I’m taking ownership by using tools like MyTelescope, ChatGPT, Deep Research, Claude, and agent.ai daily to streamline and supercharge my personal work. Plus I keep up with the daily innovations by participating in industry forums hosted by the likes of B2B Marketing, Pavilion, CMO Circle, Propolis, IQPC and more.
But a word of caution. It’s tempting to fall in love with the efficiency gains AI brings - faster content, streamlined workflows, endless outputs. But more content doesn’t always mean better content.
At the same time, we need to engage more deeply with the ethical questions AI raises. These tools are powerful - but what exactly are they trained on? And can we confidently say they’re safe for commercial use? These are critical conversations we must have as we embed AI into our day-to-day work.
So, let’s nurture curiosity. Create space for innovation. Encourage teams to explore, experiment, and embrace what’s next. But let’s keep intentional too.
Because the future of marketing isn’t just AI-enabled - it’s AI-accelerated. And we get to lead the way.
#AI #MarketingLeadership #Innovation #FutureOfWork #CMO #AIinMarketing #B2BMarketing