5 tips from EY’s CMO on creating AI-ready teams of the future

Generative AI is bringing huge potential to the marketing industry and changing the way teams work. According to Adobe and EY’s Leading generative AI deployment for marketing guide, this year, 98 percent of CEOs will invest in their company’s generative AI capability.

As generative AI continues to reshape industries, marketing leaders need to think beyond the quick wins that generative AI can bring, and start considering how to develop longer-term, cohesive AI strategies that will enhance the work their teams produce.

We caught up with EY Global Brand, Marketing and Communications Leader/Global CMO Karen Hopkins who shared her top tips on how marketing leaders can build an AI-ready businesses for the future.

1. Embrace collaboration between humans and generative AI

AI is not meant to replace humans. Instead, it should be seen as a powerful tool that complements human capabilities.

A big challenge in the marketing industry is the concern that generative AI will replace human jobs. Once teams have the chance to test and apply generative AI in their own work, they “see how quickly they can do things and get a lot more confident,” says Hopkins.

In an analysis of a generative AI deployment undertaken by EY, concerns about using generative AI fell from 99 percent to 12 percent after employees participated in the pilot (Leading generative AI deployment for marketing guide).

When leaders give teams the chance to use generative AI, they help them understand that combining human creativity, intuition, and critical thinking with AI's analytical power can unlock new levels of innovation and efficiency.

2. Foster a culture of learning

The future workforce is becoming increasingly AI-led, so it’s imperative for marketing leaders to help their teams upskill by providing hands-on education opportunities.

Encourage team members to explore AI technologies, attend relevant workshops, and engage in online courses to develop a deep understanding of AI's potential. By nurturing a learning mindset, marketing teams can adapt to the evolving AI landscape and identify innovative ways to leverage AI in their strategies.

3. Lead by example

By modelling the behaviour, using the tools themselves and communicating the benefits they are experiencing, marketing leaders can motivate and inspire their teams to adopt AI-strategies in their own work.

When leaders demonstrate the application of generative AI in the workplace, it not only sets a positive example, but also helps illustrate how AI can be leveraged as an invaluable asset. It also ensures they understand the pace of innovation and how quickly AI can develop and change, which helps guide how they can support their teams in adopting AI tools effectively.

4. Prompting AI is an iterative process

Teams can often feel frustrated when AI outputs miss the mark. Learning prompt engineering is a critical skill if teams are to effectively maximise the value of AI-generated insights.

Getting the right prompt doesn’t always happen right away. Prompt engineering requires reframing questions, asking the questions in a different way and seeking more detail to elicit the desired response and get more valuable content back.

5. Generative AI has a myriad of applications.

From content creation to performance reviews to creativity, generative AI has countless uses that can revolutionise work and creativity. As businesses adapt and evolve, those equipped with AI-ready teams will not only stay ahead but also lead the charge in shaping the future of marketing.

Generative AI is here to stay as a transformative force across every part of the organisation. Discover Adobe and EY’s Leading generative AI deployment for marketing guide revealing how to overcome three hurdles in generative AI adoption.