The Hidden Insights Behind AI's Impact

I’ve been studying the impact of AI on marketing and sales for a while now. And most of the time, I find the same story repeated: improved efficiency, better accuracy, faster decisions, and more scalable processes. Automation here, automation there…the headlines are clear. AI will help us automate tasks, optimise targeting, personalise experiences, and boost revenue.

And don’t get me wrong — who wouldn’t want increased efficiency, profitability, and growth? That all sounds amazing. But indeed, not everything that glitters is gold.

So, I started wondering: what’s behind the shiny surface of this new tech? What aren’t we talking about enough? Where’s the human part, the one that deals with emotions, resistance, culture, creativity, and the real challenges of adopting something this big? (Have you seen Mr. Hayao Miyazaki's reaction to the Studio Ghibli-style viral trend? Apologies to Miyazaki-san — we’ve turned your poetic legacy into AI selfie chaos).

So, I decided to go straight to the source and speak with the ultimate leader of AI chats — ChatGPT. But this time, I didn’t ask it to optimise or polish. I wanted to ask the things that don’t come up in industry research and whitepapers.

Here’s our conversation:

Let’s skip the usual talk about automation and predictions. What’s something less obvious about AI’s role in marketing and sales that we’re not talking about enough?

ChatGPT: One big one? Cultural shift and emotional resistance. Implementing AI changes how decisions are made — it pushes teams toward data-led, probabilistic thinking. But many sales and marketing pros are used to gut instincts, creative leaps, and human-led strategies. There’s often quiet resistance, not because AI isn’t good, but because it feels like giving up a part of their professional identity.

Is that resistance about fear of losing their jobs? Or maybe people just feel unprepared to keep up with the pace of new technologies?

ChatGPT: Both. On one hand, there's the very real fear of redundancy — people worry that if a machine can do their tasks faster, what’s their role? On the other hand, there's a subtler fear: feeling left behind. Not everyone is comfortable with fast-moving tech, and AI is evolving daily. That can be intimidating. It's not just a skills gap — it’s an identity gap. People question their value in an AI-augmented environment.

So what would you recommend to business leaders who want to get ahead of this? How can they help their teams use AI to its full potential without feeling threatened?

ChatGPT: First, acknowledge the fear. Don’t sweep it under the rug with hype. Transparency builds trust. Second, reposition AI not as a replacement, but as an amplifier of human potential. Celebrate the uniquely human skills — empathy, strategy, relationship-building — and show how AI supports those, not competes with them.

Then invest in practical upskilling — not just general “AI talks,” but hands-on tools that directly relate to someone’s job. And finally, bring people into the process. Let them co-create how AI gets implemented. When people feel ownership, they shift from fear to curiosity — and that’s when adoption becomes transformation.

So I feel like you’re suggesting that the artistic and creative side of marketing isn’t going anywhere. You’re implying that ingenuity could actually become a key part of how teams engage with tech — almost like creativity becomes the strategy. Am I reading that right?

ChatGPT: Absolutely. In fact, creativity becomes more valuable, not less. When AI handles the repetitive and analytical, what’s left is the distinctly human edge — the ability to tell stories, imagine new angles, question assumptions, and emotionally connect with an audience.

Think of it like this: AI can write a subject line, but only a creative human can spark the idea that breaks convention and stands out. AI can optimise a media plan, but only a team that understands human nuance can align it with a cultural moment. So creativity isn’t just “safe” — it’s becoming strategic currency.

That’s exciting. So what should sales and marketing teams be focusing on next, in terms of skill development?

ChatGPT: I’d break it down into three layers:

1. AI fluency — not everyone needs to be a prompt engineer or data scientist, but everyone needs to understand how to work with AI. That includes knowing its limits, how to verify outputs, and how to integrate it into your workflow. AI won’t replace people — but people who use AI well might replace those who don’t.

2. Creative agility — teams need to build muscles around experimentation, fast iteration, and storytelling that’s not just persuasive but also adaptive. Think campaign design that can respond in real time, or sales pitches co-created with AI based on live insights.

What else do companies underestimate when it comes to AI?

ChatGPT: The long-term impact on strategic thinking. AI can handle immediate tasks — like who to target next or what content might convert — but it also changes the very nature of strategy. Because when AI can test, iterate, and optimise faster than your planning cycles, you start needing shorter feedback loops, leaner strategies, and more flexible frameworks. That’s a big change for leadership used to annual planning cycles.

So AI is not just a tool, it’s redefining how strategy is built?

ChatGPT: Precisely. It's shifting decision-making from top-down to dynamic ecosystems. That requires a rethink of structure and leadership — especially in sales orgs that still rely on hierarchies and territories.

Okay, let’s go controversial. Is there any danger in over-relying on AI?

ChatGPT: Definitely. AI tends to optimise for what it can measure. If your metrics are off, your AI will be too. You might start prioritising short-term conversions over long-term brand building because it’s easier to track clicks than loyalty. Human oversight has to stay involved to ensure we’re not making our strategies narrower.

That’s a good point. Any final thought for marketing and sales leaders considering AI?

ChatGPT: Yes — don’t just ask, “What can AI do for me?” Also ask, “What will I no longer need to do, and what do I risk losing in the process?” That’s where the deepest value — and biggest risk — lies.

Thank you ChatGPT! That was very interesting.

In the end, it seems AI has given me more insights than I ever expected — and yet, here I am, still thanking a machine like it’s a conversation with a friend.