Stop asking whether AI replaces people, you’re missing the bigger point

Marketing leaders are asking an important but misguided question:

“With AI, will I just need fewer people overall to do the work?”

It’s understandable that this comes up in today’s budget-constrained, AI-obsessed environment. But here’s the truth: this is the wrong question.

AI is a technology. People are people. What leaders should be asking is:

“What is the right balance of human talent, technology, and partners that will allow marketing to achieve impact efficiently and sustainably?”

The case for a balanced marketing ecosystem

Even before AI, I’ve been saying for years that marketing organizations need a balanced ecosystem of internal and external resources, employees, agencies, technology, and services. This is not an either/or decision.

The right mix is the one that:

• Achieves marketing’s business outcomes (pipeline, growth, brand)
• Fits within budget constraints
• Minimizes disruption to ongoing operations
• Frees up core internal talent to focus on strategic work

AI doesn’t change the need for this balance. It adds a new layer of opportunity and complexity.

What AI really changes

One of the most helpful ways to think about AI is to treat it as another category of marketing technology. Like the MarTech stack, AI has enormous potential but is often under-utilized. And, just like MarTech, the cure for poor adoption is proper deployment, change management, and managed services, not simply buying the technology and hoping for impact.

AI is powerful, but its value is unlocked by humans. The reality today:

• Humans still drive the outcomes. Large language models don’t create strategy on their own. People provide the prompts, context, and direction.
• Prompts and workflows need continuous evolution. As models advance, teams must refine prompts, fine-tune outputs, and design agentic workflows with orchestrated chains of AI agents working together that integrate smoothly into marketing processes.
• AI is only as good as your processes. Most marketing organizations don’t have fully documented or optimized processes today. Without that foundation, AI can introduce more chaos than efficiency.
• Skills aren’t yet pervasive. AI literacy, prompt engineering, and workflow design are not widespread marketing skills. Upleveling teams requires investment, training programs, and time, resources most teams haven’t budgeted for.
• Learning disrupts BAU. Training and experimentation inevitably pull teams away from day-to-day responsibilities, a luxury most marketing leaders don’t feel they can spare.
• AI isn’t about fewer people, it’s about different people. New roles emerge: prompt engineers, workflow designers, and AI operations specialists who ensure these tools deliver value.

Until AI capabilities and skills become mainstream, marketing service providers will play a critical role in bridging the gap by hiring, training, and embedding AI-enabled execution resources who can deliver immediate impact without disrupting the core team.

A stat that matters

Here’s a recent stat that underscores why you can’t simply expect AI to replace headcount.

According to a global survey by BCG of 200 CMOs, 71% plan to invest at least $10 million annually in generative AI over the next three years.

That level of investment implies you’re not just paying for technology licenses. You’re paying for people who know how to use it. Skills development, process redesign, and change management are as critical as the tools themselves.

What leaders should do now

Instead of asking whether AI will reduce the need for people, ask:

• Where do we need human judgment most?
  Which activities require strategic thinking, cross-functional alignment, or creativity that only internal teams can provide?
• Where can technology accelerate output?
  Identify process points where AI can drive efficiency without compromising quality.
• Where does external expertise amplify us?
  Consider where partners or services can absorb execution work or bring AI fluency faster than you could build it internally.
• What is our roadmap for AI readiness?
  Document processes, design pilot programs, and set aside budget for skill development and change management.

The bottom line

AI isn’t a headcount reduction strategy, it’s a catalyst for rethinking your entire marketing operating model. The leaders who will win aren’t asking how few people they can get by with. They’re designing harmonized ecosystems of humans, technology, and partners that deliver maximum business impact at the right cost.

The question isn’t how many people you can cut. The question is: How do you orchestrate all of it (people, processes, partners, and AI) into a model that’s ready for the future?

The most effective CMOs are building operating models that harmonize people, partners, and AI into measurable impact. That transformation doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with a clear roadmap and governed execution.

See how 2X helps enterprises move from AI experiments to enterprise-scale adoption in just 90–120 days.

Author

Jennifer Ross

Jennifer Ross brings over 30 years of B2B marketing leadership, including directing the B2B CMO Service at Forrester. At 2X, she serves as Fractional CMO and Executive Director of Marketing Strategy, helping clients accelerate growth through transformative frameworks.