Marketers scramble for jobs over fears of AI extinction

Almost two-thirds of marketing and customer experience chiefs are actively looking to change jobs to work in companies which have superior technology tools, with more than half fearing they will soon fall victim to the rise of artificial intelligence and end up on the scrapheap.

That is according to a new HubSpot “pulse check” study, which quizzed 900 cross-industry marketing and customer experience managers, and found the allure of enhanced learning and career growth opportunities, coupled with a healthier work-life balance, is forcing over 60% of them to explore alternative options.

In the current business landscape, artificial intelligence tools have been widely adopted; over three-quarters of managers across marketing (80%) and customer experience (82%) have used AI in their roles in the past year.

The majority of managers (88% in marketing and 92% in customer experience) endorse its effectiveness and its use is projected to increase.

However, despite the enthusiasm for AI, there are significant reservations. While three-fifths (59%) of marketing managers feel the push from leadership for AI-enabled efficiency, half worry about AI potentially making parts of their roles obsolete. In customer experience, while 92% appreciate AI’s efficiency, concerns around accuracy (56%) and potential redundancy (53%) persist.

Earlier this month, it was claimed that the rise of AI could give the UK economy a major shot in the arm, creating £200bn in additional revenues, but media and marketing HR bosses fear AI will displace jobs more rapidly than it will create new ones.

Back to the HubSpot report and budgetary limitations are also a pressing issue across departments. Around half of all marketing (49%) and customer experience (52%) managers reported stagnant budgets, while a substantial number have endured budget cuts (25% and 32% respectively).

The financial crunch has instigated strategic recalibrations: customer experience managers are cutting down on staffing and training costs (41%), and marketing managers are amplifying focus on customer acquisition and creativity (40%).

More than half of the managers from marketing (53%) and customer experience (57%) professions also report being sidelined during strategic discussions, yet are still expected to execute plans.

HubSpot country manager for the UK and Ireland Flavia Colombo said: “There’s a dichotomy at the very heart of our operations – our managers, who we entrust to implement important strategies in this age of artificial intelligence where the customer journey is more important than ever, feel alarmingly sidelined in critical decision-making.

“The antidote to this discontent is surprisingly simple – inclusivity. Let’s pull these professionals into the boardroom, equip them with the skills and tools they need, and listen to what they have to say.”