Learn the top 10 AI skills marketers need, from prompt engineering and automation to AI governance and SEO.

The Top AI Skills Marketers Need in 2026

8-digital-skills-you-need-to-survive-the-rise-of-ai

[[p]]We all know by now the benefits of [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-in-digital-marketing-the-ultimate-guide" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"]]artificial intelligence (AI)[[/a]] in digital marketing &ndash; it can take over menial or repetitive tasks, drive automation and personalization, and provide valuable insights into customers. But there are also disadvantages and concerns among AI adopters.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s likely you&rsquo;ve been affected either directly or indirectly by layoffs over the last few years. And all that talk about [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-ai-going-to-take-my-digital-marketing-job" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"]]AI replacing your marketing role[[/a]] won&rsquo;t help your nerves, either. Not to mention the security and ethical risks you also need to consider &ndash; like how [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-ai-damaging-or-saving-the-planet" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"]]AI might be damaging the planet[[/a]].&nbsp;&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s a lot. But, as a marketer, you&rsquo;ll know that to get hired and thrive in 2026, you need to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/8-digital-skills-you-need-to-survive-the-rise-of-ai" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"]]develop AI skills[[/a]] to keep up with a highly competitive job market.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]In June 2026, [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/membership-update-summer-2026" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"]]DMI surveyed its members[[/a]] to understand where they are on their AI-learning journey. Using this research, this article breaks down the essential AI skills required to stay ahead.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]If you&rsquo;re looking to develop new skills, update your resume, or re-enter the job market, keep reading:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_88584"]]Key&nbsp;takeaways&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_88586"]]An increase in AI skills across organizations&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_88588"]]The main AI concerns among marketers&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_88592"]]The top AI skills you need to thrive&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="#heading_88621"]]Get hired in 2026&nbsp;[[/a]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Mentions of generative AI skills [[/strong]]in job postings have grown exponentially in the last year &ndash; 111% from 2024 to 2025.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Marketers are among the leading adopters[[/strong]] of AI, but lack the skills needed to use the technology efficiently.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]70% of DMI members vote [[em]]AI tools and technologies[[/em]] as the top skill[[/strong]] they want to develop in the next 12 months.[[/li]]
	[[li]][[strong]]Marketers are concerned about AI[[/strong]] &ndash; accuracy and reliability of outputs (28%); AI replacing jobs or roles (17%); losing the human element in work (16%); data privacy and security risks (15%).[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]According to [[a href="https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report" target="_blank"]]research by Stanford University[[/a]], demand for AI-related talent continues to increase as job listings that require AI skills make up a growing share of overall postings.[[/p]]

[[p]][[em]]Mentions of generative AI skills in AI job postings grew 111% from 2024 to 2025. [[/em]]With overall AI labor demand rising, a newer skill cluster tied to [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-an-ai-agent-a-plain-english-guide-for-marketers" target="_blank"]]AI agents[[/a]] has also emerged. Job demand appears to be shifting from general familiarity with chat-based tools toward skills required to coordinate and operationalize task-oriented systems.[[/p]]

[[p]]Marketers are among the leading adopters of AI, with [[em]]98% of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) using AI for activities[[/em]] such as content creation, workflow automation and optimization, reports [[a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/ai-skills-in-marketing" target="_blank"]]Gartner[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]Yet, one in three senior marketing leaders are not seeing the expected returns from AI investment. The primary constraint is not the technology itself, but the AI skills that marketers lack and need to develop.[[/p]]

[[p]]This research supports the DMI Membership Survey results in which 70% of members voted [[em]]AI tools and technologies[[/em]] as the top skill they want to develop in the next 12 months. However, the skill gap among marketers is real &ndash; here&rsquo;s where DMI members are on their AI-learning journey:&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[em]]I use Gen AI (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) occasionally, but not efficiently &ndash; 39%&nbsp;[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]I use AI regularly for day-to-day tasks including automations or AI workflows &ndash; 36%&nbsp;[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]I&rsquo;m just getting started and exploring what AI can do &ndash; 14%&nbsp;[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]I use multiple automations or AI agents to reduce repetitive tasks &ndash; 8%&nbsp;[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]I don&rsquo;t know how to use AI yet - 3%&nbsp;[[/em]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]When DMI members were asked what their biggest concerns are about AI, they chose the following:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]][[em]]Accuracy and reliability of AI outputs &ndash; 28%[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]AI replacing jobs or roles &ndash; 17%[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]Losing the human element in work &ndash; 16%[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]Data privacy and security risks &ndash; 15%[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]The pace of change is too fast to keep up with &ndash; 10%[[/em]][[/li]]
	[[li]][[em]]Lack of personal knowledge or training to use it effectively &ndash; 4%[[/em]][[/li]]
[[/ul]]

Top AI concerns among marketers; DMI Membership Survey results

[[p]]All of these are legitimate concerns that could easily paralyze any marketer when learning how to use AI. And &ndash; here&rsquo;s the harsh truth &ndash; [[em]]one-third of organizations expect AI to reduce their workforce in the coming year.[[/em]]&nbsp;Therefore, growing your AI skillset has never been more important.[[/p]]

[[p]]While some skills focus on using AI tools effectively, others are about thinking critically, making better decisions, and working responsibly with the technology. Together, these capabilities will help you increase productivity, improve your marketing performance, and stay competitive as AI continues to reshape the industry. Here are the 10 AI skills every marketer should start developing today.[[/p]]

[[p]]Knowing how to use AI is only part of the job. You also need to know how to evaluate what it produces and put the right guardrails in place.[[/p]]

[[p]]This is becoming a valuable skill as organizations move from experimenting with AI to embedding it into everyday marketing activities. Teams need people who can assess AI outputs, manage risk, and create processes that support responsible use.[[/p]]

[[p]]This aligns with recent research in marketing education. A [[a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02734753261454375" target="_blank"]]new competency framework[[/a]] found that generative AI makes it harder to assess traditional marketing competencies such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving because AI can produce polished outputs that obscure individual contribution. The authors argue that marketers will be valued less for producing content and more for exercising judgment, refining outputs, and applying distinctive human expertise.[[/p]]

[[p]]Good AI governance doesn&#39;t have to be complicated. It means having clear guidelines on how AI can be used, what data can be shared with AI tools, who is responsible for reviewing outputs, and when human approval is required. It also means documenting AI-assisted work when appropriate and staying up to date with changing regulations.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to strengthen your evaluation and governance skills, focus on developing your ability to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Critically evaluate AI-generated outputs for accuracy, bias, and relevance[[/li]]
	[[li]]Verify claims and fact-check AI responses using trusted sources[[/li]]
	[[li]]Recognize hallucinations, misinformation, and manipulated content[[/li]]
	[[li]]Understand AI risks, limitations, and appropriate use cases[[/li]]
	[[li]]Apply organizational AI policies and governance frameworks[[/li]]
	[[li]]Protect sensitive data and confidential information when using AI tools[[/li]]
	[[li]]Monitor AI performance and identify areas for improvement[[/li]]
	[[li]]Keep a human in the loop for important decisions and customer-facing content[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI literacy means knowing the differences between generative AI, predictive AI, and AI agents. It also means understanding concepts such as context windows, hallucinations, training data, reasoning models, and model limitations.[[/p]]

[[p]]The better you understand these fundamentals, the easier it becomes to choose the right tool for the right task and recognize when AI has gone wrong.[[/p]]

[[p]]Alongside AI literacy comes one of the most practical skills marketers can develop: prompt engineering.[[/p]]

[[p]]A prompt is much more than a question. It&#39;s a set of instructions that gives AI the context, goals, audience, format, and constraints needed to produce useful outputs. A vague prompt often leads to generic content, while a well-structured prompt can generate ideas, drafts, research summaries, campaign plans, and data analysis that save hours of work.[[/p]]

[[p]]Prompting is no longer a niche technical skill. It&#39;s becoming a core workplace skill, much like using search engines or spreadsheets. If you want to improve your AI literacy and [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/become-a-better-ai-prompter" target="_blank"]]prompting skills[[/a]], focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Choose the right AI model or tool&nbsp;for different marketing tasks[[/li]]
	[[li]]Write clear prompts that include context, objectives, audience, and desired output[[/li]]
	[[li]]Break complex tasks into smaller prompts to improve results[[/li]]
	[[li]]Refine prompts through iteration and feedback[[/li]]
	[[li]]Use examples and reference material to guide AI outputs[[/li]]
	[[li]]Recognize when AI needs additional information or human direction[[/li]]
	[[li]]Evaluate responses and ask follow-up questions to improve quality[[/li]]
	[[li]]Stay up to date with new AI tools, features, and capabilities[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI can help you work faster, but it can&#39;t replace strategic thinking. It can generate ideas, summarize research, analyze trends, and recommend actions. Deciding which ideas are worth pursuing and how they align with business goals is still your responsibility.[[/p]]

[[p]]As AI takes over more routine tasks, strategic thinking becomes one of the skills that sets marketers apart. Rather than spending time drafting emails or pulling reports, you can focus on understanding customer needs, identifying opportunities, solving business problems, and making decisions that drive results.[[/p]]

[[p]]This also means knowing when not to use AI. Not every task benefits from automation, and not every AI recommendation is the right one. Successful marketers will know where AI adds value, where human creativity is needed, and how to combine the two.[[/p]]

[[p]]Strategic thinking also involves asking better questions. Instead of prompting AI to simply create content, you&#39;ll get better results by asking it to analyze competitors, identify market gaps, explore customer pain points, or generate multiple approaches to achieving a business objective.[[/p]]

[[p]]To strengthen your strategic thinking skills, focus on developing your ability to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Align AI initiatives with business and marketing objectives[[/li]]
	[[li]]Identify where AI can improve workflows, campaigns, and customer experiences[[/li]]
	[[li]]Interpret AI-generated insights in the context of your business[[/li]]
	[[li]]Evaluate opportunities, trade-offs, and potential risks before acting[[/li]]
	[[li]]Ask better questions to generate more useful insights[[/li]]
	[[li]]Combine AI recommendations with human expertise and market knowledge[[/li]]
	[[li]]Measure the business impact of AI-driven activities and optimize over time[[/li]]
	[[li]]Think critically about long-term outcomes rather than short-term efficiency[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI agents&nbsp;are designed to carry out multi-step tasks with limited human input. Instead of answering a single prompt, they can plan, make decisions, use external tools, and complete workflows.[[/p]]

[[p]]For marketers, this could mean [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-do-a-competitive-analysis-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]researching competitors[[/a]], monitoring brand mentions, qualifying leads, updating a CRM, or creating reports without manual intervention.[[/p]]

[[p]]Alongside AI agents, workflow automation is changing how marketing teams operate. By connecting AI to tools such as your CRM, email platform, analytics software, and project management system, you can reduce repetitive work and spend more time on strategic activities.[[/p]]

[[p]]The DMI Membership Survey reflects this shift. While [[em]]36% of members say they regularly use AI for day-to-day tasks, only 8% use multiple automations or AI agents to reduce repetitive work[[/em]]. This suggests there is still a significant opportunity for marketers to build practical automation skills and gain a competitive advantage.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to develop your skills in agentic AI and automation, focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Identify repetitive marketing tasks that can be automated[[/li]]
	[[li]]Design AI-powered workflows that connect multiple tools and platforms[[/li]]
	[[li]]Build and manage no-code or low-code automations[[/li]]
	[[li]]Use AI agents to support research, reporting, content production, and customer service[[/li]]
	[[li]]Monitor automated workflows and troubleshoot issues[[/li]]
	[[li]]Balance automation with human review for high-impact decisions[[/li]]
	[[li]]Measure the time savings and business value created by AI-powered workflows[[/li]]
	[[li]]Adapt workflows as AI capabilities continue to evolve[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI can generate content quickly and easily based on simple text prompts for [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/using-ai-tools-for-copywriting" target="_blank"]]written content[[/a]], imagery, video, and more. But content creation isn&rsquo;t just about gathering and curating content that&rsquo;s already out there.[[/p]]

[[p]]It&rsquo;s about being creative. It&rsquo;s about [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-marketers-can-use-human-centered-storytelling-to-engage-an-audience" target="_blank"]]including a human perspective[[/a]]. It&rsquo;s about collaboration and thinking outside the box.[[/p]]

[[p]]The best marketers use AI as a creative partner rather than a replacement. They use it to brainstorm ideas, create first drafts, repurpose content across channels, personalize messaging, and overcome creative blocks. They then apply their own expertise to refine, fact-check, and shape the final output.[[/p]]

[[p]]However, you also need to learn how to make the most of it &ndash; check out some&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/some-inspiring-uses-of-ai-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]great examples of brands using AI[[/a]]&nbsp;in their marketing to optimize campaigns.&nbsp;And remember &ndash; avoid [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-ai-slop-the-new-brand-risk" target="_blank"]]AI slop[[/a]] at all costs.[[/p]]

People are using AI because it's lower cost and highly scalable. But if you don't have a good creative platform and it doesn't come from creative and data-driven insights, then it's just spray and pray really.

[[p]]If you want to strengthen your AI content creation skills, focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Brainstorm ideas and overcome creative blocks with AI[[/li]]
	[[li]]Generate first drafts while maintaining your brand voice[[/li]]
	[[li]]Repurpose content efficiently across multiple channels and formats[[/li]]
	[[li]]Create and edit AI-generated images, video, and audio assets[[/li]]
	[[li]]Personalize content for different audiences at scale[[/li]]
	[[li]]Review, fact-check, and refine AI outputs before publishing[[/li]]
	[[li]]Balance speed with originality to avoid generic AI-generated content[[/li]]
	[[li]]Combine AI with human creativity to produce content that delivers results[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI can help you create content faster. Your creativity, experience, and understanding of your audience are what make that content worth reading.[[/p]]

[[p]]Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) still matters, but it&#39;s no longer enough on its own. Marketers need to understand how [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ai-search-glossary" target="_blank"]]AI-powered search[[/a]] experiences find, interpret, and recommend content. That means creating content that is accurate, trustworthy, well-structured, and genuinely helpful.[[/p]]

[[p]]Your brand&#39;s discoverability depends on more than ranking highly in search results. It also depends on building authority across the channels where AI systems look for information.[[/p]]

[[p]]This requires marketers to think beyond keywords and focus on answering real customer questions, demonstrating expertise, and publishing content that AI systems can easily understand and reference.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to improve your search and discoverability skills, focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Create high-quality, authoritative content that answers customer questions[[/li]]
	[[li]]Optimize content for both traditional search engines and AI-powered search experiences[[/li]]
	[[li]]Structure content using clear headings, summaries, and schema markup where appropriate[[/li]]
	[[li]]Build topical authority through consistent, in-depth content[[/li]]
	[[li]]Monitor how your brand appears in AI-generated search results and summaries[[/li]]
	[[li]]Understand how customer reviews, forums, social media, and other third-party content influence discoverability[[/li]]
	[[li]]Track changes in search behavior as AI-powered experiences continue to evolve[[/li]]
	[[li]]Measure search performance using both SEO metrics and AI visibility where possible[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]As search evolves, marketers who understand how people discover information &ndash; and how AI surfaces it &ndash; will have an advantage. The goal is no longer just to rank on a search results page. It&#39;s to become a trusted source that both people and AI systems choose to recommend.[[/p]]

[[p]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/how-to-use-data-analytics-to-drive-better-business-insights" target="_blank"]]Understanding your data[[/a]]&nbsp;means you can gain insights that help you learn more about your customers and ensure you design a user interface or campaign that delivers. It&rsquo;s also about analyzing data at scale and quickly to get meaningful results that allow customer-based predictions.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]AI enables you to put all data into the mix &ndash; not just what you get from&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/ga4-best-practices" target="_blank"]]GA4[[/a]]&nbsp;&ndash; such as reviews, forums, and social media posts to get an idea of what your customers are saying. And text analytics can give insight into customer sentiment, discussions, and conversation trends.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to successfully implement AI, you need to develop your [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/data-analytics-skills-marketing-success" target="_blank"]]data analysis skills[[/a]]. The more you develop these skills, the better you&rsquo;ll be able to grasp the insights that AI can deliver.[[/p]]

[[p]]This involves honing your expertise in the following areas:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Data collection[[/li]]
	[[li]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/5-inspiring-real-world-examples-of-data-visualization" target="_blank"]]Data visualization[[/a]][[/li]]
	[[li]]Data cleaning and management[[/li]]
	[[li]]Data-driven decision-making[[/li]]
	[[li]]Data privacy and protection[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]Instead of creating one campaign for everyone, marketers can use AI to tailor emails, website experiences, product recommendations, advertisements, and customer journeys for different audiences.[[/p]]

[[p]]However, personalization is about more than automation. It requires a strong understanding of your audience, high-quality data, and careful testing. The most effective marketers use AI to support customer relationships, not replace them.[[/p]]

[[p]]AI can help identify patterns and opportunities, but human insight is still needed to create authentic experiences that build long-term loyalty.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to strengthen your personalization and customer engagement skills, focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Segment audiences using customer data and behavioral insights[[/li]]
	[[li]]Use AI to personalize content, offers, and customer journeys across channels[[/li]]
	[[li]]Analyze customer behavior to predict preferences and future actions[[/li]]
	[[li]]Design automated campaigns that respond to customer interactions in real time[[/li]]
	[[li]]Balance personalization with customer privacy and data protection requirements[[/li]]
	[[li]]Test and optimize personalized experiences using performance data[[/li]]
	[[li]]Interpret customer feedback and sentiment to improve engagement[[/li]]
	[[li]]Combine AI-driven insights with human empathy to build stronger customer relationships[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]AI is excellent at processing information, identifying patterns, generating ideas, and completing repetitive tasks. People bring creativity, empathy, critical thinking, ethical judgment, and business context. When you combine these strengths, you can produce better work than either could achieve alone.[[/p]]

[[p]]Human-AI collaboration means knowing where to draw the line. AI shouldn&#39;t make every decision or communicate with customers without oversight. The best outcomes come from treating AI as a collaborator that supports your work, not as a replacement for your expertise.[[/p]]

[[p]]As AI becomes embedded across marketing teams, collaboration won&#39;t just happen between people and technology. It will also require marketers to work more closely with colleagues in areas such as IT, legal, cybersecurity, and data analytics to use AI responsibly and effectively.[[/p]]

[[p]]If you want to strengthen your human-AI collaboration skills, focus on learning how to:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Identify which tasks are best suited to AI and which require human expertise[[/li]]
	[[li]]Work with AI to brainstorm ideas, solve problems, and improve decision-making[[/li]]
	[[li]]Review and refine AI-generated outputs before they are shared or published[[/li]]
	[[li]]Communicate effectively with colleagues about AI-assisted workflows[[/li]]
	[[li]]Collaborate across teams to implement AI responsibly[[/li]]
	[[li]]Balance efficiency with creativity, empathy, and critical thinking[[/li]]
	[[li]]Build trust by being transparent about when and how AI is used[[/li]]
	[[li]]Continuously adapt your skills as AI capabilities evolve[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]]As AI becomes more ingrained in the workplace and in marketing functions, the more we open ourselves up to new, fast-moving, and more intense [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/cybersecurity-risks-of-using-ai" target="_blank"]]cybersecurity risks[[/a]].[[/p]]

[[p]]The cyber risks of AI typically fall into three core categories:[[/p]]

[[ol]]
	[[li]]Attacks that target the AI system[[/li]]
	[[li]]Risks created by how people use AI[[/li]]
	[[li]]Risks created by attackers using AI as a weapon[[/li]]
[[/ol]]

[[p]]You&rsquo;ll be pleased to know you don&rsquo;t need to ban AI. You just need to know how to use it safely and have the right protective measures in place, by:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Increasing AI awareness and training[[/li]]
	[[li]]Validating and monitoring AI inputs and outputs[[/li]]
	[[li]]Using structured prompts with clear separation[[/li]]
	[[li]]Using a second auditor model[[/li]]
	[[li]]Keeping a human in the loop[[/li]]
	[[li]]Red teaming and adversarial testing[[/li]]
	[[li]]Monitoring, logging, and flagging anomalies[[/li]]
	[[li]]Applying zero trust and least privilege to AI systems[[/li]]
	[[li]]Improving AI governance and creating clear policies[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

[[p]][[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-ethical-use-of-ai-in-digital-marketing" target="_blank"]]AI ethics[[/a]], on the other hand, refers to the principles and guidelines that govern the responsible development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence to ensure fairness, transparency, privacy, and accountability.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]Because AI is a generative technology, there&rsquo;s the potential for misinformation, plagiarism, and harmful content, along with a lack of transparency and job displacement.[[/p]]

[[p]]Marketers have access to a lot of customer data, and AI platforms are already used widely to gather and sort information. This has ethical implications and can lead to issues with&nbsp;[[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/the-state-of-data-privacy" target="_blank"]]data privacy[[/a]]&nbsp;if customer data is used without consent, or [[a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-ai-bias" target="_blank"]]bias[[/a]] may occur due to poor or misrepresented data.&nbsp;[[/p]]

[[p]]So, it&rsquo;s important for marketing teams to be transparent about their use of AI and in the collection and processing of personal data. Companies should ensure their systems are secure, private, and non-discriminatory, by:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Conducting ethics-based audits[[/li]]
	[[li]]Developing clear AI use policies[[/li]]
	[[li]]Ensuring data responsibility[[/li]]
	[[li]]Fostering transparency[[/li]]
	[[li]]Upskilling team members in AI[[/li]]
	[[li]]Reinforcing human guidance at every step[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

I took the Advanced AI for Digital Marketing course and it gave me several, practical tips that I now use regularly. This includes integrating AI into spreadsheets for data analysis and content planning. I've also been able to educate my team on new tools and practices, such as using AI to suggest content ideas, analyse data, and setup workflows to automate repetitive tasks.

[[p]]Remember, while it&rsquo;s great to have all these AI skills in your toolkit, you still need other marketing and basic workplace readiness skills to be a successful candidate overall.[[/p]]

[[p]]You won&rsquo;t get anywhere if you don&rsquo;t have essential soft skills such as communication, teamwork and collaboration, emotional intelligence, adaptability and flexibility, critical thinking, problem-solving, and time management.[[/p]]

[[p]]And, according to the DMI members surveyed, these are the top marketing skills they&rsquo;re looking to develop over the next 12 months:[[/p]]

[[ul]]
	[[li]]Analytics &amp; GA4 - 40%[[/li]]
	[[li]]SEO and search marketing - 39%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Marketing automation and martech - 35%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Social media tactics - 35%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Marketing leadership and career development - 33%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Content marketing - 33%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Email marketing - 27%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Personal branding - 20%[[/li]]
	[[li]]UX, design and conversion - 20%[[/li]]
	[[li]]Data regulation and compliance &ndash; 17%[[/li]]
[[/ul]]

The Top AI Skills Marketers Need in 2026

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