We asked 1.5K+ marketers how they’re using AI at work. Most of them won’t always tell you they are

6 min read

April 8, 2024

AI may be revolutionizing the way we work, but it seems to have an image problem.

In a new global survey of 1.5K+ ecommerce marketers who use AI in a professional capacity, respondents revealed they still feel hesitant to admit when they’re using AI on the job—despite reporting overwhelming positive experiences when they use it.

Image shows a stacked vertical bar graph in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The chart is titled, “Do you disclose when you use AI to your colleagues and managers/bosses?” The bar is divided into 31% for always, 43% for often, 22% for sometimes, and 3% for never.

What, exactly, is stopping the majority of marketers (69%) from always disclosing their AI usage to their managers and colleagues? Let’s walk through—and debunk—a few possibilities.

It’s not that AI doesn’t work

Our survey respondents identified a wide range of benefits of using AI on the job, from improved creativity to improved quality and accuracy.

Image shows a horizontal bar graph in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The graph is titled, “Which of the following do you consider benefits of using AI in the workplace?” The bars include improved quality and accuracy: 41%; increased ability for idea gathering: 36%; improved decision making and planning: 36%; increased productivity: 35%; increased personalization: 33%; scalability and adaptability: 32%; cost savings and resource optimization: 31%; automating simple tasks: 31%; enhanced safety and risk management: 30%; enhanced customer engagement: 28%.

It’s not that marketers think AI disclosure isn’t important

Overall, the expectation that colleagues and managers disclose their AI usage is actually higher among survey respondents than their own personal rates of disclosure.

Image shows a stacked vertical bar graph in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The graph is titled, “How often do you expect the following individuals to disclose their use of AI?” The bar on the left, labeled “Your business partners,” is divided into 44% for always, 37% for often, 16% for sometimes, and 3% for never. The next bar, labeled “Your team,” is divided into 44% for always, 37% for often, 16% for sometimes, and 3% for never. The next bar, labeled “Your boss/manager,” is divided into 39% for always, 37% for often, 19% for sometimes, and 5% for never. The bar on the right, labeled “Your colleagues,” is divided into 36% for always, 42% for often, 18% for sometimes, and 3% for never.

It’s not fear of the unknown

According to the research, the vast majority of marketers not only are confident that they understand how AI works, but also trust the outputs they get from AI.

Image shows a pie chart in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The chart is titled, “I have a good understanding of how AI works.” The graph is divided into 49% for strongly agree, 41% for somewhat agree, 9% for neither agree nor disagree, 1% for somewhat disagree, and 0% for strongly disagree.

Image shows a pie chart in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The chart is titled, “I trust the outputs I get from AI.” The graph is divided into 43% for strongly agree, 47% for somewhat agree, 9% for neither agree nor disagree, 2% for somewhat disagree, and 0% for strongly disagree.

It’s not lack of clarity around policies and procedures

Almost all marketers are at least somewhat familiar with their workplace AI policy—and familiarity increases even more alongside company size.

Image shows a stacked vertical bar graph in a lavender and white color scheme on a dark, galaxy-like background. The chart is titled, “How familiar are you with your organization’s AI policy?” The bar is divided into 59% for very familiar, 39% for somewhat familiar, 2% for not very familiar, and 0% for not at all familiar.

Fighting AI stigma: 10 stats that’ll make you proud to use AI at work

With all that in mind, it seems likely that marketers are harboring anxiety over possible AI-related stigma—that even though their own experiences with using AI at work are overwhelmingly positive, marketers are not confident that external perception will follow suit.

Well, the data is in—and all signs from our survey point to the undeniable truth that AI is a tool for smart employees, not lazy ones.

If you’ve been using AI at work, you’re certainly not alone. It’s time to own how much better it’s making you at your job.

Need proof? Here are just a few supporting data points from our report:

AI makes marketers more productive.

83% of survey respondents say AI has at least somewhat improved their overall work productivity in the past 6 months.

AI makes marketers more effective.

84% of survey respondents say AI has at least somewhat improved their overall work performance in the past 6 months.

AI makes marketers more strategic.

84% of survey respondents at least somewhat agree with the statement, “AI does the heavy lifting for me so I have more time to focus on more valuable work.”

AI improves the customer experience.

90% of survey respondents at least somewhat agree with the statement, “AI helps improve the customer experience faster than I could on my own.”

Bonus points (and pride) if you’re using AI that prioritizes these characteristics, which our survey respondents identified as most important:

Privacy and security: 30%
Ease of use: 29%
Trustworthiness of data: 28% (most important feature for MM+ respondents)
Accuracy of information: 27%
Data management: 27%
Cost-effectiveness: 27%

Want more? Download the full report for more fascinating findings, including the AI applications marketers believe will be most important in the future. (Spoiler: They go way beyond what ChatGPT can do.)

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Jax Connelly

Lead editor

Jax Connelly (they/she) brings 15 years of editorial experience to their role as lead editor at Klaviyo. She started her career doing SEO at a small digital ad agency and spent most of her twenties managing a financial magazine for a trade association based in Washington, DC. Most recently, they studied and taught writing at Columbia College Chicago during the peak years of the pandemic. Outside of her day job, Jax is an award-winning creative writer who has received honors including 4 Notables in the Best American Essays series, contest awards from publications like Nowhere Magazine and Prairie Schooner, and a residency from the Ragdale Foundation. Jax lives in Chicago, a block away from Lake Michigan.