How AI is Changing the Role of the Modern Marketer

When ChatGPT first landed in the hands of marketers, the response was… mixed.

Excitement. Panic. Curiosity. Resistance.
And a whole lot of “Is this going to take my job?”

But here’s what I believe—based not on theory, but on real use in real businesses:

AI isn’t here to replace creativity. It’s here to free it.

In this article, I’ll share how I’ve seen AI change the way modern marketing teams work (for the better), where it actually delivers value, and how we can use it without losing the human side of strategy.

Let’s start here.

AI doesn’t replace:

• Human insight

• Original ideas

• Strategic thinking

• Emotional intelligence

• Deep customer understanding

• The ability to challenge assumptions and ask “Why?”

In other words: it doesn’t replace you.

But it does change what your time is worth.
And how you use your brain.

Over the past two years, I’ve worked with AI in nearly every phase of marketing strategy and execution. Here’s where it shines:

• Speeding up repetitive tasks
  From writing first-draft email sequences to repurposing blog content across channels

• Generating new angles & variations
  Especially helpful when you’re too deep in a topic to see it fresh

• Summarizing data, calls, or customer input
  Tools like Fireflies.ai, ChatGPT with CSVs, or custom GPTs make pattern recognition faster

• Prototyping ideas before committing budget
  Need a quick landing page mockup? A campaign outline? AI makes it frictionless

• Boosting non-native writers
  For global teams, AI can help refine tone or translate across contexts

But here’s the trick:
These are tools. Not shortcuts.

Let’s make this real. Here’s how AI shows up in my workflow:

When I run strategy sprints with teams, we use AI to generate idea clusters, customer voice extractions from interview data, or test new positioning lines before putting them in front of real customers.

Why it works:
It removes the blank page syndrome and speeds up brainstorming—without skipping the human judgement part.

I use AI to outline and evaluate growth experiments: from ideation (ChatGPT) to test setup (Notion + Zapier integrations) to performance summarization (Claude or Gemini).

Why it works:
It helps teams move faster without getting sloppy—and documents everything along the way.

With one well-structured longform article, I build 5–10 content pieces using AI prompts.
Think: LinkedIn post variations, email intros, carousel outlines, even scripts for short-form video.

Why it works:
It keeps the core message consistent but adapts it to different platforms—at scale.

I often help marketing teams build their own custom GPTs or prompt libraries. The goal isn’t dependency—it’s empowerment.

Why it works:
AI becomes part of the team’s toolkit, not a crutch.

Yes, AI can create noise.
Yes, it can hallucinate.
And yes, it can be used lazily—which leads to generic, soulless content.

So here’s my rule of thumb:

Use AI to speed up thinking, not to replace it.

You still need people who know the brand.
People who can say, “This doesn’t feel right.”
People who understand nuance.

Otherwise, you’re just automating mediocrity.

If you’re a marketer today, your role is evolving.

You’re no longer just an executor—you’re a curator, orchestrator, and strategic filter.

With AI as your sidekick, you get to:

• Spend more time on big-picture thinking

• Challenge assumptions

• Focus on quality, not just volume

• Lead creative collaborations across functions

• Make faster, sharper decisions

It’s less about what you create, and more about how you direct the flow of creation.

AI is not replacing marketers.

But it is replacing certain habits, assumptions, and ways of working.

The modern marketer doesn’t need to fear AI.
The modern marketer needs to design how they use it—intentionally, creatively, and ethically.

And if you do that?

You’ll have more time for the work that actually matters.