• by Todd Wasserman , June 7, 2023

After all the hype about generative AI, Salesforce and YouGov have come up with a calculation about how much time it will save marketers.

After polling 1,000 full-time marketers in the United States, the UK and Australia in May, the researchers found that generative AI can save about five hours of work per week. That amounts to more than a month each year, assuming eight-hour workdays.

At the same time, marketers also expressed concerns about the accuracy and quality of such AI outputs and their lack of skills to get the most out of these tools.

Overall, the survey, part of Salesforce’s Generative AI Snapshot Series, found that 51% of marketers polled are currently using generative AI. Another 22% said they plan to use it very soon. But 39% said they don’t know how to safely use generative AI.

Among the ways marketers say generative AI is already transforming their roles, including content creation (76%) and writing copy (76%). Looking ahead, 53% say generative AI is a “game changer” for reasons including the way they’ll use it to analyze data, build marketing campaigns and personalize messaging content.

Most marketers see generative AI as a time-saver, with 71% saying generative AI will eliminate busy work and another 71% saying it will let them focus on more strategic work.