• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, March 2, 2023

For all the hype surround recent releases of a new generation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications, tools and integrations, the vast majority of industry executives say they have no concrete plans to actually begin using it. That's the finding of a survey of 500 industry pros released this morning by European digital media event organizer DMEXCO.

Nearly three quarters of those surveyed between January 26 and February 20 said they either consider AI to be irrelevant or are unsure of its concrete value to marketing.

The minority who cited immediate concrete value said it was for things such as optimizing organic search, customer service and "conversational marketing."

"Around one in ten of those surveyed in the areas of marketing, communication, and media may already be testing AI in terms of content production and search engine optimization, but most communicators are still cautious or even skeptical about actually using AI in their companies," DMEXCO noted in a statement announcing the findings.

In terms of possible future plans, most execs cited AI's potential to manage routine tasks and/or reduce costs, but when asked about potential risks, most industry pros were also not so sanguine about AI's relevance for marketing.

"Overestimating" the tech's possibilities (48%) and the "quality of results" were the two top risks cited (see below).