By Michael Orr

Like many people, my first reaction to AI was a mix of curiosity and concern. I wondered what it would mean for designers, videographers, influencers, developers and every creative role that keeps modern marketing moving. 

The uncertainty wasn’t about the technology itself, but about the disruption it would bring. Change is rarely comfortable, especially when it forces us to rethink skills we’ve relied on for years.

After using these tools every day for the past couple of years, my view has changed completely. The people and businesses that choose to move early are the ones who will benefit the most. 

The genie is well and truly out of the bottle, and no amount of wishing will put it back in. The real question for marketers isn’t whether AI is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. It’s how quickly we can adapt, and what happens if we don’t.

We decided to lean into AI rather than wait on the sidelines. We started using it for everything from copywriting and image development to video production through platforms like VEO 3.1 and Sora. 

That decision played a major role in helping us achieve our strongest year to date. We produced more content, produced it faster, and at a far lower cost than would have been possible only a few years ago.

The new creative toolkit

The shift in capability has been enormous. Work that once needed large crews, expensive gear, actors, multiple locations and months of planning can now be created in a matter of days. A video that might have required a $40,000 budget and weeks of editing can now be produced on a small budget by someone who understands how these tools work.

This kind of speed matters. When you can create quickly, test ideas instantly and adjust without restarting an entire production pipeline, you gain a huge advantage. 

Marketing has always been about pace and iteration. AI just removes many of the bottlenecks that used to slow teams down.

Creativity still leads the way

One thing AI hasn’t replaced, and never will, is creativity. If anything, it has made creativity more important. 

The people who will get the most out of AI are those with strong ideas and a clear sense of what great content looks like. AI can help execute those ideas, but it can’t originate vision, taste or insight.

What it does exceptionally well is remove the friction between an idea and the final result. A creative marketer can now take an idea that pops into their head in the morning and turn it into a fully developed campaign before the end of the day. They can test multiple versions, refine what resonates and scale it far faster than any traditional process allowed.

The future will reward the combination of imagination, instinct and a working knowledge of AI tools. That mix is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful skill sets in marketing.

Seeing the reaction before you hit post

Another underrated benefit is the ability to predict how content might be received before it goes live. AI can now assess tone, sentiment, audience fit and potential reactions with surprising accuracy. It’s not flawless, but it gives marketers a chance to pressure-test ideas in a way that simply didn’t exist before. This saves time, reduces waste and helps ensure content lands with the right message and intention.

The reality of job shifts

Yes, AI will change the job landscape. Some roles will evolve and some will disappear. But new roles are also emerging: AI-focused content strategists, creative directors specialising in synthetic media, producers who understand AI-driven workflows, and specialists who optimise campaigns using real-time signals.

Technology has reshaped marketing many times, and AI is the latest leap. The people who choose to develop new skills will be the ones who thrive.

Why Australia can’t afford to hold back

There is a growing sentiment that we should ‘slow down’ on AI adoption. While the concern is understandable, it ignores the reality that Australian businesses now compete on a global stage.

Restricting our access to tools while international competitors use them freely leaves us at a disadvantage before we even begin. Most e-commerce brands are no longer competing only with the shop down the road. They’re competing with businesses in the US, Europe and Asia that are producing content at ten times the speed and scale. Limiting AI locally doesn’t preserve jobs, it risks eliminating them.

Adaptation is the new advantage

AI isn’t a fad and it isn’t a short-term trend. It’s becoming part of the basic infrastructure of marketing, much like websites, mobile and social media did in their time. The businesses that adapt quickly will move faster, understand their customers better and produce work at a level that’s difficult to match without these tools.

Those who resist change will fall behind the ones who don’t. The genie is out of the bottle, and this time, he’s giving the smartest marketers the ability to imagine, create and scale faster than ever.

Michael Orr is the head of marketing at The House of Golf.

Read more: Unlocking the power of AI in marketing: Debunking common myths