Sales, media and marketing need three years to prepare for AI

4th September 2023 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

A survey of 600 UK human resources managers and directors working in sales, media and marketing conducted in May 2023 indicates they will need three years to be ready for the impact of AI on the workplace. However, all of them believe it will deliver benefits.

Fewer than one in five (18%) said they would be fully prepared for the potential impact of AI on the workforce within the year. To integrate AI, 43% were investing in their tech teams, while 47% were already trialling AI in their businesses.

Grant Price, CEO at YOHO Workplace Strategy, said: “AI has the potential to be the biggest disruptor of the way the sales, media and marketing industry works since the industrial revolution.

He added: “Our research shows businesses don’t think they will be prepared for the seismic changes AI will have until three years’ time. But all sources indicate AI will have changed radically in that time and businesses need to prepare for this now.”

Grant Price
Grant Price: AI has potential to be biggest disruptor of sales, media and marketing industry.

Jobs most impacted by AI

The survey, commissioned by researchdriven consultancy YOHO Workplace Strategy, also asked the respondents which jobs would be most impacted by AI. HR directors and managers working in sales and marketing (49 respondents) put customer services and support at the top of the list (31%), followed by IT and technology jobs (27%), finance and accounting (27%), education and training (22%) and manufacturing and production (20%).

The survey also revealed the top five concerns about AI in the workplace, which include a lack of human interaction (37%), technical issues (33%), ethical considerations (33%), job displacement (29%) and overdependence on technology (20%).

The types of benefits expected by respondents were improvements in decision-making (39%), better allocation of resources and time management (31%), cost savings and reduction in labour costs (29%), increases in innovation and creativity (27%) and automation of routine tasks (24%).