While much has been made of the ability of generative AI to boost efficiencies and deliver greater returns to marketing teams, it seems many marketers are yet to be convinced it’s having that great of an impact on the bottom line.
New research from General Assembly finds 61% of the more than 300 marketing and sales professionals surveyed are not completely confident in AI’s ability to increase revenues, with nearly half (46%) also not certain it improves the consumer experience.
In addition, nearly a quarter (22%) say AI has not impacted productivity, while 18% believe embedding AI has actually created more work and is distracting them from important strategic work.
However, the study suggests much of this negativity comes from a lack of formal training in how to make the most of AI. Only 17% of respondents say they received comprehensive, role-setting training that prepared them to use AI effectively, with 32% having had no formal AI training at all.
A fifth of those who were fortunate enough to be trained in AI found the training was too generic, while 15% found the training too focused on concepts rather than practical applications. Considering all of this, it’s not too surprising that 16% ended up seeking out their own training in AI. A risk any business should be looking to avoid.
As to what marketing professionals are looking for in AI training, the results show a desire for clear results built around examples of successful practice.
General Assembly found the surveyed marketers wanted self-paced online modules with industry-specific examples (58%), regular training updates as AI evolves (57%), interactive workshops on specific use cases (48%) and peer learning with colleagues who are using AI successfully (45%).
The results indicate marketers are open to using artificial intelligence tools, but clearly feel the pace of change, hype and bluster that surrounds AI is making it difficult for them to know where to start.
‘Brainstorm tool’: B2B firm Typeform on seeing AI as a ‘sidekick’Of course, while some are struggling to find their footing in an AI-driven landscape, there are many who have quickly found benefits to the new technology. The survey shows 68% are already using AI for some element of their work, with over half (51%) are using AI agents to help with their productivity.
AI adoption is highest in the UK (75% of respondents), with sales professionals (74%) outpacing their marketing counterparts (64%).
The majority of marketing and sales professionals (55%) use AI fewer than five times a day, but for some, it’s an all-day companion – with 15% reporting using AI 10–19 times daily and 5% using it 20 or more times.
As to what they are using AI for, the most frequent use case is around content creation (57%), market research (49%), sales operations (47%), customer relationship management (42%) and advertising (41%).
Other use cases include social media management, campaign planning and event execution.
“Sales and marketing teams have been early and avid adopters of AI, but a persistent skills gap prevents them from reaching their full potential,” says Jourdan Hathaway, chief business officer at General Assembly.
“Generic, one-size-fits-all AI training might have worked three years ago. Today, every department needs role-specific training. As AI agents handle increasingly complex tasks, it’s critical to brand safety, and governance that marketing and sales teams have the skills to implement and manage them effectively.”
With only 69% of UK marketers reporting productivity gains from their use of artificial intelligence systems, there is still a lot of work to do to make AI the solution many promised it would be.
