Last month, I took my first ride in a Waymo — a fully autonomous trip through the streets of San Francisco. As I stepped out, two other people who had just completed their first ride exchanged amazed looks with me. We shared a mix of awe and disbelief, marveling that a car could navigate city streets entirely on its own.

One day, I imagine I’ll feel the same amazement watching a fully autonomous marketing campaign unfold — from inception to optimization — without human intervention. This vision of an autonomous marketing pipeline represents the future of AI in marketing.

As we shift from today’s point solutions to autonomous marketing pipelines, I’ll explore what will change, why it matters and how marketing teams can prepare for success.

The current landscape of AI in marketing: Point solutions and AI augmentation

Shortly after ChatGPT’s release in November 2022, those magic “AI buttons” started appearing across our software. At first, clicking them felt a bit gimmicky — the results often fell short of the hype surrounding AI. 

But in the past two years, I’ve seen an explosion of AI “point solutions” in marketing: single-task tools that can create voices, generate videos or design images. Alongside these stand-alone solutions, larger enterprise suites like Adobe and Salesforce have started integrating AI capabilities into their software. 

While these solutions help increase productivity, they don’t fundamentally change workflows. They act more like co-pilots, assisting us in tasks but not taking the wheel. In our car analogy, it’s like lane-assist technology — it helps, but we’re still driving. 

Dig deeper: Why traditional marketing systems can’t keep up with AI and what to do about it

The emergence of autonomous marketing pipelines

Over time, point solutions will consolidate as providers seek to stand out with more comprehensive offerings. For example, HubSpot, which began as a tool for inbound marketing, has expanded to cover everything from sales to customer service and is increasingly integrating AI. But its AI functions remain point solutions, offering AI-generated content, customer service agents and reporting.

As autonomous vehicles allow passengers to set a destination and let the car handle the rest, autonomous marketing pipelines will eventually operate with minimal human guidance. These pipelines will create and deliver content and campaigns aimed at specific outcomes, bringing enormous efficiency and effectiveness to marketing operations. Campaign delivery will look more like a finely tuned engine rather than a series of separate tasks, and we’ll see a shift toward a seamless, data-driven process.

In the future, the campaign design team might collaborate with AI to generate campaign ideas, then rely on an AI-driven pipeline to manage tactical execution — testing ad variants, adjusting channels and refining audiences in real-time. Or consider a campaign that uses machine learning to self-optimize, improving over time. The workflow starts to look like this: 

Dig deeper: 4 AI categories impacting marketing: Workflow automation and RPA

How this impacts marketing organizations

As you might imagine, marketing roles will evolve significantly in a world of autonomous marketing pipelines. AI takes over tasks like creating thousands of ad variants for testing, leaving top creatives to focus on unique ideas and innovations AI hasn’t yet conceptualized. (For instance, AI couldn’t have written this article because the concept of autonomous marketing pipelines isn’t widely known yet!)

Other marketers will support pipelines in different ways. A writer might work on setting guidelines for AI-generated content and refining tone-of-voice prompts for campaigns. Graphic designers could create innovative imagery or styles and then train AI to replicate these visuals at scale.

This shift will also bring new roles to manage the data, infrastructure, workflows and ethics of automation. Here are a few examples of roles we might see as Autonomous Marketing Pipelines take shape:

Key skills required for autonomous marketing

Marketers preparing for an autonomous future should focus on building data, technology and communication skills.

Data skills

AI runs on data. Understanding how AI consumes and interprets data is critical for marketers. A solid grasp of data fundamentals helps marketers better understand AI’s capabilities and limitations. By honing analytics and audience segmentation skills, marketers can enhance their collaboration with AI, using insights to interpret analytics, measure effectiveness and respond swiftly when automation veers off course.

Dig deeper: How to make sure your data is AI-ready

Technical skills

As automation grows, marketers will need stronger technical skills. Today, we have users ranging from beginners to advanced administrators in tools like marketing automation platforms. 

In the future, more complex systems will require us to program, monitor and troubleshoot pipelines. Those with skills in APIs and automation platforms will be better equipped to manage these pipelines without relying solely on IT.

Dig deeper: Why your marketing team needs training, not just tech, in the age of AI

Communication skills

Effective communication will be essential to managing Autonomous Marketing Pipelines, as they represent a significant change. This shift will require clear, cross-functional collaboration as marketers navigate new technical, legal and ethical landscapes. Success will rely on securing leadership buy-in and effectively communicating results across the organization.

Preparing for autonomous marketing pipelines

Although fully autonomous pipelines may seem far off, marketers can start preparing now.

Training and upskilling

Begin by developing your team’s technical competence. Close skill gaps through courses, certifications and in-house workshops, especially in areas like data. Identify the top skills your team is missing, then find relevant courses or certifications to fill those gaps. Consider pairing marketers with more technical team members in mentorship roles to foster learning.

Dig deeper: Building your generative AI marketing skillset: Training and upskilling

Experimenting with low-stake pipelines

Encourage teams to experiment with small automation pipelines, such as automating content creation and scheduling. Start mapping workflows to identify where automation could connect different parts of your marketing stack. If you’re purchasing point solutions, ensure they integrate smoothly with the rest of your tools.

Building your internal network

Just as autonomous vehicles require multiple systems to work together, autonomous marketing pipelines will need unprecedented coordination across departments, including legal, IT and data teams. To strengthen your internal network, start by forming a cross-functional AI council with representatives from each area.

Developing a strategic mindset

While task efficiency is important, focusing only on efficiency can miss the bigger picture. The most successful teams will look at long-term goals, pipeline effectiveness and customer experience. Be clear on your organization’s objectives and align automation efforts with those goals.

Dig deeper: How marketers can go beyond random acts of AI and why they should

Getting the support you need

Keeping up with marketing AI is a full-time job. Seek guidance from experts who stay updated on AI developments and can advise on platforms, software and strategies to prepare your organization for the future. Mistakes with unscalable platforms, incompatible software and unprepared teams can be costly.

Final thoughts

I’m still amazed that we have technology capable of driverless cars. And with the rapid evolution of marketing AI, it’s easy to see how marketing could soon follow suit.

Marketing is quickly moving from standalone solutions to automated pipelines that must be guided and managed. Some jobs may evolve or disappear, while others will adapt to meet AI’s needs.

By increasing their technical skills, deepening their understanding of data and building essential relationships, marketers who are now preparing will stay relevant and succeed in the coming world of autonomous marketing pipelines.