How generative AI is elevating creativity in the workplace

As technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, marketers and creatives are quickly adapting to embrace the change. The convergence of AI and visual communication is revolutionizing the way we design and create content, opening up infinite possibilities for what’s to come.

We recently worked with Morning Consult to understand how global marketing and creative leaders are incorporating AI into their work. We’re delighted to hear how much leaders are already finding value in embracing these changes. We learned that 75% now see generative AI as an essential part of their toolkit, and 69% believe it’s enhancing their team’s creativity.

As a visual communication⁠(opens in a new tab or window) platform, we see firsthand how much content marketing and creative professionals have to produce and do so at top speed. This is why we’ve been bringing a host of AI-powered tools like Magic Write⁠(opens in a new tab or window), Magic Edit⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and Translate⁠(opens in a new tab or window) to market, to make them more creative, efficient, and productive in their day-to-day.

Our survey of more than 4,000 marketing and creative leaders from nine countries, including the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and India, provides valuable insights into how AI is transforming the way they work.

Doing more with less

Ninety-seven percent of marketing and creative leaders are comfortable with the rise of generative AI because it allows them to leave the busywork behind. Eighty percent agree that AI-powered⁠(opens in a new tab or window) tools reduce the minutiae of repetitive tasks, freeing them up to focus on the more meaningful parts of their role, such as higher-level creative thinking and strategic decision-making, which add true long-term value.

Unlocking time and fueling creativity

Sixty-nine percent of leaders say AI is saving their teams at least two to three hours per week, with 36% realising time savings in excess of four to five hours a week. Whether it’s generating novel ideas, brainstorming headlines, or translating text, AI has emerged as a game-changing solution for when time is short and productivity cannot be compromised. Of the 17% who feel generative AI tools are limiting their team’s creativity, the most common objection was preventing the development of original ideas.

Scaling content outputs

Eighty-three percent have used AI text generators to create written content, such as marketing copy, with 82% having used AI tools to generate unique images⁠(opens in a new tab or window) and edit them. We asked leaders to gaze into a crystal ball and 49% said they believe generative AI tools will be better than humans at creating visual images five years from now. With the rise in volume⁠(opens in a new tab or window) and complexity of the creative assets their teams need to build, many are turning to AI for assistance.

Addressing AI tool overload

Though leaders are excited and embracing AI, keeping up and finding the right tools is a challenge in such an exploding marketplace. Sixty-nine percent believe there are too many generative AI tools, and 65% are overwhelmed by the learning curve. Although most are enthusiastic about the opportunities, 54% feel pressured to keep up with the pace, and 47% say they don’t know how to get the most value out of the technology. It’s clear the AI landscape will benefit from simplification to accelerate the benefits for marketers and creatives.

Managing the risks

The majority of marketers and creatives are worried about how generative AI is impacting privacy, with customer data (76%), company data (75%), and personal data (74%) risks weighing on the minds of practitioners. Seventy-one percent also expressed concern about bias in content generated by AI. In a sign that organisations are addressing these risks, 55% of leaders say their company has established strict guidelines for the use of generative AI in their workplace. These issues are top of mind for us at Canva and we’re focused on developing AI-powered solutions that are truly inclusive and representative of everyone while at the same time remaining safe and secure to use.

AI has supercharged how we apply new innovations to our work, and the opportunities are beyond measure. As a visual communication platform, we see incredible use cases leveraging generative AI, and while it’s still the early days, we’re wildly optimistic about the possibilities. The enthusiasm and rate of adoption of our AI tools have been extraordinary to see. For example, there have been nearly 2 billion backgrounds removed with our one-click AI background removal tool⁠(opens in a new tab or window), more than 500 million images generated with our AI image products⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and more than 1 billion words written with our AI-text generator, Magic Write⁠(opens in a new tab or window). It’s clear this seismic shift has forever changed creativity and design, and this will be reflected in all that we do to serve the needs of our global community moving forward.

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