Will AI replace product marketers? Or will it become a powerful tool for PMMs to use?

As I answered in another question, generative AI is an assistive technology. It's basically in the toddler stage. It's terrible at critical thinking and creative problem-solving. That is the key skill set of a good PMM. I think the tech is going to be an incredible accelerant for PMMs. But I will say that all knowledge work is going to change dramatically as many of the basic tasks will be picked up by AI. I don't know what this will mean for the future of knowledge work. There are many predictions from the optimistic to the doomsday.

For the near future, I'm in the optimistic camp. But as a senior leader, I excitedly welcome more help in the basic, time-consuming work that isn't really high value for me. This means that more entry-level roles are going to change faster. Anyone who is currently in college studying marketing (or any knowledge work profession) needs to ensure AI is a core part of their curriculum or they risk not finding a role when they graduate.

In the not-so-near future, I'm not sure if PMM will exist. I'm not sure if lawyers will exist. I'm not sure that coding will be a thing or video post-production. It can be scary, but it's also an opportunity and imperative to grow and expand beyond what we think is possible today.

AI won’t replace product marketers, but PMMs that can leverage AI successfully will replace those who can’t. Product marketing requires strategic thinking, creativity, and a deep understanding of human behavior — all areas where humans still excel. I see AI freeing up PMMs from a lot of rote tasks like data analysis, copywriting, and audience segmentation to focus on more impactful work like developing strategy, building relationships with customers and stakeholders, and identifying new market opportunities. One slightly spicy take: AI will probably speed up the transition to leaner PMM teams, since each PMM will become more capable and productive.