Research from Microsoft and LinkedIn recently examined how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the marketer’s work. It may change or touch on over 75% of all jobs mentioned in the study. The report demonstrates how generative AI tools will alter existing skillsets and roles in advertising, public relations (PR), and media planning. This change represents a seismic restyling of how work happens within marketing.
Marketers will need to think anew about their skills, workflows, and approaches to working in an AI-themed world where automation is not an option, but the structure of work.
Marketing and Communications Roles are Undergoing Transformative Change Because of AI
Microsoft recently published a work trend index report based on LinkedIn labor data, comprising an analysis of over 500 job roles in 18 countries. In the report, they concluded that marketing functions are one of the highest professions that are being disrupted by generative AI. Once considered “assistive,” technologies like AI-generated copy, semi-automated visual design tools, or basic headlines or summaries of a content piece are now considered fundamental to any marketer’s day-to-day essentials.
The Industries Mentioned Above Are:
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Media Planning
- Social Media Management
- Content Creation and Copywriting
Why Marketing is at Risk of Disruption by AI
Marketing tasks are largely repetitive and full of content – a perfect candidate for automation. Microsoft’s report highlighted that generative AI tools like ChatGPT, DALL·E, and Copilot can now:
- Write blogs, emails, or social copy
- Generate ad creative or landing page copy
- Conduct keyword clustering and SEO research
- Run A/B tests like subject lines or CTAs
- Personalize customer journeys, at scale
As AI tools get smarter and cheaper, entry-level to mid-level marketers risk increasing redundancy or redefinition of their role.
“AI won’t replace all marketing jobs – but marketers who use AI will replace those who don’t”, said Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager, Microsoft 365 and Future of Work.
Marketers’ Skills Needed for Success
Microsoft believes that the loss of jobs shouldn’t be the only concern for marketers because there are also opportunities to evolve. According to their research, marketers who are open to using AI tools are the most likely to thrive.
Skills Needed Currently:
- Proficiency with AI tools (prompt engineering, image generation tools)
- Strategic Thinking and Campaign Orchestration
- Data analytics and marketing automation
- Ethical use of AI in brand communications
Microsoft also mentions that marketers are signing up for AI courses on LinkedIn Learning at a high level, increasing 71% year-over-year in the past year.
Job Redefinition, Not Job Elimination
AI is changing jobs, not just eradicating jobs. Content strategists oversee AI-produced content. Media planners use AI to suggest how to spend the budget in real time. Social media managers use predictive AI to schedule and personalize engagement.
There are new hybrids which are emerging, such as:
- AI Marketing Analyst
- Prompt Optimization Specialist
- Creative Automation Manager
This hybridization seems to indicate that marketers who adopt first will be at the front of the curve in tomorrow’s workforce.
Read: World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs Report
International Developments: Change Is Global
The report from Microsoft shows that the AI shift is not localized and is everywhere at once. The most extreme changes were seen in:
- USA- Highest use of AI tools in the martech stack
- UK- Shift toward AI-based performance marketing
- India- Rapid upskilling of digital marketers
- Germany- Strong ethical AI compliance frameworks are being developed
Conclusion
The Microsoft study should be a major wake-up call for the marketing profession: AI is not just on the horizon—it is already disrupting the workforce. With three-quarters of marketing roles impacted, marketers must shift from traditional skills to new skills and begin using AI-augmented ways while embracing a marketing approach that favors flexibility, creativity, and technology fluency.
Marketers who fear job displacement should think of the change and evolution as an avenue for reskilling, focus on gaining new skills, and focus on innovating in their organizations. Learning to collaborate with AI, rather than compete with it, will not just preserve careers in marketing but also transform what successful and informed data-driven marketing will be in the future.
FAQs
1. How many marketing roles have been affected by AI, according to Microsoft?
In total, 75% of roles in marketing and communications in advertising, PR, and media are disrupted with AI, according to the Microsoft study.
2. Will AI take the place of marketers?
No. AI is automating some tasks, but it will redefine many roles too. AI will help marketers, not replace the marketer.
3. Which marketing jobs have the most disruption with AI?
The roles that are seeing the most disruption with generative AI are content creation, social media management, and media planning.
4. What skills should marketers learn to be relevant?
Marketers should focus on learning AI tools and data analysis skills, ethical practices surrounding AI, and strategic planning skills that aligns their career with the future.
5. Where should marketers look to learn about AI?
LinkedIn Learning offers a library full of courses on AI in marketing and includes prompt writing, content automation, and analytics.
Discover the trends shaping tomorrow’s marketing – join the leaders at MarTech Insights today.
For media inquiries, you can write to our MarTech Newsroom at news@intentamplify.com
