The "AI doesn't apply to me" Edition

I’ve had this thought for a long time. Let’s face it—when we see something coming, and coming very fast toward us, our instinct is to avoid it.

I did the same. As a marketer, I thought AI was just a fad.

But then I started seeing all the applications in marketing—from idea generation to content development, data & insights, and customer experience.

And I realized there was no turning back.

But if you're reading this, you might be thinking, "I'm not a marketer, and AI doesn't apply to me."

I get it. As a society and in business, we haven’t always been great at giving specific examples of how AI applies to every function.

So let’s do a little “Function/AI Bingo,” in hopes that I hit a few of you:

HR: Buried Under Admin Work

So much of HR work is plagued by an overwhelming amount of administrative tasks, preventing HR professionals from dedicating the time and energy they’d prefer to improving employee experience.

AI can automate repetitive tasks like resume screening, ticket creation, or interview scheduling. With AI taking over the mundane, HR professionals can focus on giving employees the attention and support they deserve.

Finance: Drowning in the Data Cycle

I’ve watched my peers in finance get stuck in a cycle of manual data entry, number-crunching, and constantly updating financial reports - spending more time with the data than discussing it with their business partners.

AI can process and analyze vast amounts of financial data with precision, identifying patterns and trends at speed. This allows my finance friends (everyone should be friends with finance!) to shift focus from day-to-day data management to long-term strategy and insight generation.

Sales: Oh Following up with Leads

Prioritizing leads, following up at the right time, and keeping track of customer interactions can be daunting.

AI traditionally could be used to analyze past interactions and behaviors to help sales teams prioritize the best leads. Now, Gen AI can also generate documents on the fly, offer insights into what customers really want, and even produce personalized communications.

I know I’m missing some functions, but you get the point.

No matter what function you’re in, AI is a tool that solves specific, everyday problems. It’s not about replacing people—it’s about taking over the repetitive tasks that drain your energy, so you can focus on work that adds real value.

And it’s fair to ask, "What if this AI thing doesn’t happen?"

That’s a possibility. But here’s the thing: the time you spend reimagining how you work and fixing the tasks that make you feel drained—is that truly lost time?

Technology is just an enabler. It’s a great excuse for us to look at broken processes and reimagine them through a lens of AI

See you next week.

Hey, I’m Marco. I write, speak, train, and advise on #marketing and #ai.

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