Through a Marketing Lens — by Katie Windfeldt

Artificial Intelligence (AI)  is no longer just a tool marketers can experiment with, it is becoming a system that everything runs through. Throughout my time getting my master’s, there hasn’t been a single class that hasn’t touched on AI and the impact it’s bringing to the business world. And it isn’t just marketing, its finance, operations, HR, strategy, and literally every other business touchpoint. AI is now embedded into every part of marketing from content, targeting, analytics, and campaign execution, and companies are shifting from simply just “using AI” to building entire marketing systems around it. What stands out to me most is how quickly it’s moved from being something that is “nice to have” to something companies are actively building around. 

A perfect example of this is tools like Canva AI, which are making it easier than ever to generate visuals, write copy, and bring ideas to life in seconds. As Canva puts it, “blending Canva’s generative tools into one intuitive experience with Canva AI helps generate on-brand designs, write content, and give design advice as you create,” making it your all-in-one creative teammate. What makes this even more interesting to me is that throughout both my undergraduate and graduate programs, I’ve always loved using Canva and have been able to watch these technology improvements happen in real time. Seeing something I have used for years evolve into an AI-powered creative partner really puts into perspective just how fast this space is moving, and Canva AI is just one example of millions. However, at the same time, this is where the tension starts to show. AI makes content faster and cheaper, but if everyone has access to the same tools, content can start to feel generic or repetitive, polished to the point of sameness, and honestly a little less human. 

If you’re curious what this actually looks like in practice, here’s a quick walkthrough of how Canva AI 2.0 works and how you can start using it in real time.

From everything I’ve learned during my graduate program, my biggest takeaway of AI is simple: AI is happening whether we like it or not, and it’s up to us as decision makers to embrace it. Companies that fail to evolve their business models and strategies to include AI will struggle to maintain any kind of sustainable competitive advantage. But organizations don’t change on their own, it’s the people within them that drive that change. The brands and marketers who will win are the ones who learn how to balance leveraging AI for efficiency while still protecting the human element that makes great marketing and business strategies actually resonate. If we as individuals resist or avoid these changes, we’re the ones who fall behind, but if we learn how to balance both, we put ourselves in a position to lead where business and marketing is going next.

Are you embracing AI or still figuring out where it fits?