Marketing and sales teams have been among the many first to place AI to work. From accelerating content creation to optimising routine tasks, AI tools—and now AI agents—have gotten a part of each day routines. But adoption is moving faster than training, leaving many professionals without the abilities to make use of these tools effectively.
A brand new study by General Assembly, which surveyed greater than 300 professionals in the US and UK, found that 68% already use AI at work. Over half (51%) are using AI agents—autonomous systems that may handle multi-step tasks without constant oversight. Yet fewer than one in five (17%) have received job-specific AI training. The rest are counting on generic training, self-teaching, or no training in any respect.
Who’s using AI—and for what
AI use is commonest in the UK (75%), with sales teams (74%) ahead of marketing (64%). Adoption is very strong in skilled services, where 84% report using AI. Most respondents use it a handful of times every day, but a small group treats it like an all-day partner—15% use AI 10–19 times a day, and 5% use it 20 times or more.
The commonest uses include:
- Content creation (57%)
- Market research and analytics (49%)
- Sales operations (47%)
- Customer relationship management (42%)
- Advertising (41%)
Other tasks include social media management, campaign planning, lead generation, and event support.
Risks and gaps in governance
AI’s advantages are clear, but its use doesn’t at all times match company policies. Almost half of respondents (48%) admit to utilising unapproved tools, with finance professionals taking the lead at 56%.
Access to AI is uneven. Nearly half (47%) use company-approved tools, while 21% depend on free public platforms and one other 21% use whatever tools they select, paid for by their employer. Only 11% are obliged to make use of AI, while most are either encouraged or left to make a decision on their very own. Without clear guidance, professionals are making their very own calls—sometimes in ways which will create compliance or brand safety risks.
The AI training gap in marketing and sales
The research highlights just how rare role-specific training is.
- 32% have had no training in any respect
- 20% received training that was too broad
- 15% had training focused only on theory
- 16% sought out their very own
That leaves only 17% with training tailored to their roles.
Confidence levels mirror this gap. While 65% consider they’re confident in utilising AI, greater than a 3rd are unsure, and some not confident in any respect. Respondents want higher options, asking for self-paced online modules with industry examples, updated training as AI changes, workshops on practical use cases, and peer learning.
Impact on work and performance
AI has helped many teams save time and give attention to higher-value tasks. Two-thirds say it has freed up time for strategic work, and greater than half report higher productivity. Nine in ten consider it helps their teams make faster decisions. But results aren’t consistent: 22% say AI hasn’t improved productivity, and 18% feel it has added extra work.
Confidence in its effect on the underside line is mixed. Only 39% are certain it boosts revenue, though 54% say it improves customer experience.
Why role-specific AI training is critical for marketing and sales
For professionals who haven’t adopted AI yet, the principal barriers are lack of coaching, confusion about which tools to make use of, and data privacy concerns. Most of those non-users also haven’t received formal training—suggesting that higher education could bring more people on board.
Jourdan Hathaway, General Assembly’s Chief Business Officer, said: “Sales and marketing teams have been early and avid adopters of AI, but a persistent skills gap prevents them from reaching their full potential.
Generic, one-size-fits-all AI training may need worked three years ago. Today, every department needs role-specific training. As AI agents handle increasingly complex tasks, it’s critical to brand safety and governance that marketing and sales teams have the abilities to implement and manage them effectively.”
(Photo by charlesdeluvio)
See also: Optimising for AI search – a guide
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