Marketing repeatedly faces claims of obsolescence as each new technology — the internet, social media, big data, and now AI — prompts declarations that the profession will end. Marketing historically transformed and adapted, adopting new tools while retaining central importance. Algorithms already create music, recommend films, and predict preferences, but they lack understanding of why individuals make specific choices. Consumers purchase meaning, stories, and emotions rather than mere text or images. AI functions as a tool that can amplify or expose creative mediocrity. Marketers must focus on originality, storytelling, and emotional resonance to remain indispensable amid automation.
How many times have you read that marketing is dead in the last year? How often have you come across articles with headlines such as 'AI will replace all specialists by 2030'? And how many of your friends have sent you links to neural networks that 'write better than any copywriter' with a triumphant smirk? If you're a marketer, this is an especially painful experience. After all, it is our profession that regularly takes centre stage in these technological obituaries.
As I wrote in my book AI Essential: How Algorithms Are Changing Our Daily Lives, artificial intelligence is not taking away our jobs; it is taking away the illusion that we are the sole authors of our own lives. Algorithms have long been writing music, recommending films, and suggesting routes, as well as guessing our desires with the accuracy of coffee foam. However, no algorithm knows why you chose this particular coffee shop or song on your playlist.
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