A few things happened recently that made the AI shift in our field feel very concrete to me. Two CMOs I know — at companies I've worked at — were both let go within the past year. Both were experienced, long-tenured product marketing leaders. But when stock prices dipped and ad budgets tightened, the pressure landed on marketing to prove direct sales impact. If you can't demonstrate a clear line from your work to pipeline, you become the first cut. My take: today's CMO needs a growth marketing background, or a strong head of growth beside them. Brand expertise alone isn't enough anymore. And if you're a CMO past 40, you need to be actively using AI to optimize your team's output — not just following it from a distance.
On the analytics side, I've heard the same story repeatedly. Entry-level analysts who primarily write SQL are under the most pressure. One director-level friend said it plainly: "AI writes decent SQL now. Pure code writers at the junior level are being replaced." A mentee of mine works at a large agency where the analytics team has been restructured and cut across multiple levels, and the team is now exploring how to use AI to automate reporting. Some postings are already listing AI tool proficiency as a hard requirement.
The through-line for both functions is the same: AI is absorbing the low-value, repetitive, time-consuming work. The people who survive — and thrive — are the ones who use AI to do that work faster and then redirect their energy to the things AI can't do: strategic thinking, cross-functional relationships, judgment calls, and creative direction.
I have a friend who uses AI to handle website building, design, branding, video production, and go-to-market strategy — effectively doing the work of a four-person team. Full-stack marketers like her are exactly what companies want to keep. If you're currently a specialist, start pushing yourself toward broader capability. Let AI be your co-pilot, not your competition. Start with one AI project you can put on your resume, and build from there.
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