75% of marketers and creatives from US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Australia already consider generative AI tools as essential parts of their creative toolkits, according to all-in-one visual communication platform Canva.
“Tighter budgets, increased content demands, and non-stop deadlines have led marketers to embrace generative AI tools to scale their output,” said Natalie Schwartz, Global Head of Brand Marketing, Canva.
“Our findings reinforce the fact that AI-powered tools are breathing new life into creativity and productivity for marketers, a profound impact we see firsthand as a visual communication platform.”
To conduct the study, Canva interviewed more than 4,000 marketing and creative leaders on their attitudes towards generative AI. Canva commissioned Morning Consult to conduct the study.
AI is unlocking productivity and elevating creativity
The study found that the majority 80% of respondents agree that AI-powered tools reduce the minutia of repetitive tasks, freeing them up to focus on the more creative and meaningful parts of their role.
Sixty-nine percent say generative AI tools are enhancing their team’s creativity and saving them at least 2-3 hours per week. Meanwhile, more than a third (36%) of teams are saving between 4-5 hours per week on creative projects.
Of the minority (17%) who feel generative AI tools are limiting their team’s creativity, the most common objection (48%) was preventing the development of original ideas.
The AI ecosystem is fragmented and complex
Despite the apparent usefulness of AI tools, a sizeable chunk of users feel that the experience could be improved. The study found that more than two-thirds (69%) believe there are already too many generative AI tools, with 65% overwhelmed by the learning curve.
While most are excited about the opportunities to elevate creativity, 54% feel pressured to use it to keep pace with change and 47% say they don’t know how to get the most value out of the technology.
Concerns about data privacy persist
The ability of generative AI tools to process data and generate sensitive information has also raised some concerns. The majority ranked customer data (76%), company data (75%), and personal data (74%) risks as their top concerns, over job loss, plagiarism, and bias.
Organisations are addressing these risks, with more than half (55%) saying their company has established strict guidelines for the use of generative AI.