Many marketers find AI helpful even though concerns persist: survey

Marketers aren’t afraid of AI…for the most part.

That’s according to a recent survey of more than 4,000 marketing and creative leaders across nine countries conducted by graphic design platform Canva and research firm Morning Consult.

The majority of respondents said that AI is a useful tool that helps save time and enhance creativity. Still, many said they feel overwhelmed by AI and have concerns about the tech, like its impact on data privacy.

Lean in

You know what they say…What doesn’t kill you makes you more productive. Almost all (97%) of those surveyed said they are “comfortable” with generative AI because it “allows them to leave the busywork behind,” according to Canva.

Marketers do seem to be leaning on AI for the more menial aspects of their days: 80% said it’s helpful to “reduce the minutiae of repetitive tasks” so they can concentrate on more overarching strategic work. Meanwhile, nearly 70% think it boosts creativity.

AI is also saving marketers time, according to the survey, which found that 69% of respondents said it saved their teams at least two to three hours a week.

Text-based and image-based AI tools seem equally popular, with 83% having used generative AI for written content, and 82% having used it for images.

Under pressure

Not every marketer is fully embracing AI, however. Of those surveyed, nearly a fifth said these tools limit creativity among their teams, specifically noting that AI isn’t conducive to brainstorming original ideas.

Some are worried that the AI marketplace is too crowded: 69% said there are too many tools to choose from. Another majority (65%) expressed concerns about the learning curve, while more than half (54%) said they “feel pressured to keep up with the pace” of the growing space.

Privacy is top of mind for many marketers when it comes to AI, with roughly three-quarters saying they’re concerned about risks to customer data, company data, and personal data. Another 71% said they’re worried about bias in AI-generated content.

More than half (55%) of respondents said their companies have set up rules and regulations governing the use of AI, potentially in an effort to address some of these concerns. For instance, Codeword, the tech marketing agency that brought on two AI interns that went on to start their own shop, established guardrails for staff who use AI.