THINK WITH ALEC

AI + Marketing Professionals

Earlier this week, I ran a quick poll on LinkedIn to get a sense of how deeply AI has embedded itself in the day-to-day lives of marketers. The question was simple: How often do you use AI-based tools and applications in your marketing work? The responses were telling — and frankly, not all that surprising. A solid 64% said they use AI tools every day, while 27% admitted to using them occasionally. Only 9% identified as being “old school,” rarely leveraging AI in their workflows.

These numbers echo what many of us in the industry are already seeing — AI is no longer just a buzzword. It’s a workhorse. Whether it’s content creation, data analysis, personalization, automation, or performance optimization, AI is rapidly becoming the invisible engine behind modern marketing. And for good reason: it’s fast, scalable, and capable of handling tasks that would otherwise consume valuable human hours.

Interestingly, that 27% who use AI “occasionally” may represent the transitional group — those who are experimenting, testing, or perhaps waiting for more robust proof before fully committing. In some cases, barriers like lack of training, tool overload, or organizational resistance might be slowing adoption. But even so, the direction is clear: AI is steadily moving from optional to essential.

The 9% of marketers who say they rarely use AI — the “old schoolers” — are a small but important group. They serve as a reminder that while AI is powerful, it’s not a silver bullet. There’s still immense value in intuition, human storytelling, and brand voice — qualities that even the best AI models are still learning to replicate. In fact, the most successful marketers today know how to blend human creativity with AI efficiency, rather than replace one with the other.

What’s next? As AI tools evolve, the skillsets required of marketers are evolving too. Prompt engineering, AI ethics, tool integration, and data fluency are becoming core competencies. The marketers who stay ahead won’t just use AI — they’ll understand it, shape it, and harness it in smarter, more strategic ways.

The takeaway? If AI isn’t your middle name yet, it might be time to update that business card.