In a year filled with headlines documenting the rise of artificial intelligenceone of the many questions that remains unanswered is how technology will impact the job market. Will it improve human productivity or make people obsolete?
Figures from an exclusive survey of more than 350 people ADWEEK readers revealed that 46% of respondents believe AI will eliminate more marketing jobs than it will create. That’s a higher percentage than the 8% who think the opposite will happen.
The survey took place online from December 17 to 20.
At the same time, most respondents seem confident that AI will not make them personally redundant, as 67% indicated they are not worried about the technology taking their jobs.
About two-thirds of those surveyed said they work for a brand, media company or advertising agency.
Besides job security, another lingering question related to the rise of AI concerns the relationship between technology and creativity.
In 2024, companies from Apple to Coca-Cola to Toys “R” Us encountered negative reactions either to suggest that AI was a cut above human imagination, or to use the tool to produce advertisements and other marketing materials.
More ADWEEK readers indicated they disapprove of the extent to which brands are currently using AI in their designs than they approve of it. The findings indicate a difficult road ahead for companies looking to give technology a bigger role in their marketing strategies.
Along the same lines, nearly half of ADWEEK readers viewed 2024 as a less creative year for advertising compared to 2023. About one in five survey participants, meanwhile, said that the advertising industry was more creative in 2024 than in 2023.
