• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 1, 2023

Marketers are using AI for content creation above all else. But this has led to worries about tone of voice and factual accuracy, and those are only some of the hurdles they face, judging by a new study from Kaltura: Riding the wave, a 2024 survey report on the use of AI technologies in marketing teams. 

Marketers and events teams cite these concerns about using AI to create content:

• Tone-of-voice issues — 49%
• Quality of the generated material — 43%
• SEO penalization — 27%
• Factual inaccuracy — 27%

Perhaps more seriously, they also list these worries:

• Data security concerns — 50%
• Integration with existing systems — 50%
• Ethical and privacy concerns — 45%
• Subscription cost — 31%
• Lack of competent AI tools — 31%
• Uncertainty about its values and place in your team — 31%
• Lack of expertise/knowledge — 31% n
• Cultural shift/mindset change — 27%
• We have no challenges — 1%

Why are they bothering, given these challenges? The respondents see these benefits:

• Improved quality — 51%
• Scalability — 48%
• Cost reduction — 45%
• Time saving/productivity — 45%
• Competitive advantage — 39%
• Improved performance of team members — 33%
• Improved performance of marketing activities — 32%

Marketers are using AI for these purposes:

• Content personalization — 47%
• Chatbots — 47%
• Content production/creation — 44%
• Product or content recommendations — 37%
• Social media marketing — 32%
• Predictive analytics — 30%
• Paid advertising — 26%
• Audience segmentation and targeting — 25%
• SEO — 7%

On another front, 41% have seen an increase in lead generation attributable to AI, although only 7% report being able to attribute with certainty.  

You may well ask: How many firms are really doing all this? 

The study shows that 88% are experimenting with AI to some extent. However, only 11% are using it frequently, 41% occasionally and 36% say they are currently experimenting with AI. Another 12% are planning to try it. 

Kaltura surveyed 500 full-time employees working in marketing and events at firms with over 1,000 employees the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Italy in August and September 2023.