I'm not a gunslinger, but I'm a value hunter. And so are others in the communications and marketing field. The most recent weapon of choice has been AI. And no wonder, given its huge promise to boost efficiency, creativity, and business benefits. But where are we now – and why do so many professionals in our field feel that the real benefits are yet to come?
According to Netprofile's recent Insight Track 2025 report, the AI value hunt is in full swing in almost all marketing and communications teams. We use AI every day. It helps produce content, translate texts, analyse data, and reduce administrative work. Many report visible results: organisations have witnessed increased productivity and cost savings.
At the same time, a sense of disappointment has emerged. Is AI, after all, just the white deer that hunters chase — the precious, almost mythical prize that slips further and further away the more it’s pursued?
Why do the benefits not seem revolutionary?
Interviews with marketing and communications professionals who responded to the Insight Track 2025 survey, along with the accompanying questionnaire, reveal one key reason for their disappointment with AI: the benefits it brings are mainly operational. While it speeds up everyday tasks, it has yet to change what is done — or why it is done.
The strategic benefits – such as opening new markets or transforming business models – are still largely missing.
Another factor limiting AI’s impact is its dependence on humans. AI cannot solve problems autonomously, without guidance. It’s clear that achieving high-quality results with AI requires skilled users: good questions, precise prompts, critical evaluation, and creative application.
Many professionals have discovered that AI doesn't necessarily save time. Instead, hours are spent testing, revising, and refining different prompts.
The more we learn, the more cautious we become
The report shows that caution around AI is growing. Concerns are rising over data use, intellectual property rights, reliability, algorithm transparency, and even environmental impact. Tools are evolving so quickly that staying up to date requires constant effort.
This highlights one of the paradoxes of AI value hunting: the more we experiment, the more we uncover its limitations and risks. The question is not just what the technology can do, but what it should do — and what we should do with it.
The Finnish data in the Insight Track 2025 survey is particularly thought-provoking. In Finland, AI is being used more enthusiastically than in many other countries, and it's seen as offering a greater competitive advantage and less risk. But if the majority sees unique value in the same tool, is it truly unique anymore? Are we being too naïve about AI’s potential to create differentiated value?
Can the promises of AI be fulfilled?
The next step is clear: organisations need to move from individual experiments to holistic value realisation. This requires:
- Developing skills
- Integrating AI into everyday tools and processes
- A clear strategy: what do we want to achieve with AI?
- Integrating ethics and data governance into AI work.
The value of AI does not come from experimentation alone, but from how well organisations learn what is worth adopting on a permanent basis.
AI is a tremendous opportunity, but it is not a magic trick. Moments of disappointment are ultimately a stepping stone on the road to truly transformed marketing and communications strategy. So let the value hunt continue!
Download the full Insight Track 2025 report here.
