In 2025, there’s more focus than ever on AI in marketing. There are also more questions than ever about how marketers can get the most from our new machine coworkers. So to set about answering some of them, we recently hosted a free webinar with respected futurist Rishad Tobaccowala, the bestselling author of Rethinking Work — alongside host Henry Innis, Co-Founder and CEO of Mutinex.
Our webinar was titled The Future of Growth: How Human x machine cooperation will drive better financial results for marketers, and it covered a range of topics — including:
* How AI is likely to change the way we measure business outcomes
* How marketers can get ahead of the curve to leverage AI in meaningful ways for the bottom line
* And how we can reframe the AI conversation to build confidence, not fear
Here’s a look at some key insights and pertinent quotes:
Reframing the AI Conversation: From Fear to Confidence
One of the most important themes of the webinar was the need to shift our perspective on AI. Instead of viewing it as a threat, we should see it as a powerful tool that can augment human capabilities. Tobaccowala suggested a radical shift in how we perceive AI, urging us to think of it not as a mere machine, but as something far more profound.
Think about AI not as a machine, and not as a human, but as an alien life form. How do we coexist with this alien life form?
This “alien-human coexistence,” as Tobaccowala puts it, has the potential to revolutionize marketing. By understanding AI as a unique entity, marketers can explore new avenues of collaboration and innovation.
Work, Growth, and the Power of Purpose
Tobaccowala also emphasized the deep connection between meaningful work and growth, both personal and professional.
One of the most important things that we all do as human beings…is purposeful and meaningful work.
In a time where the very nature of work is rapidly transforming, he continued, finding purpose and meaning is more critical than ever. And the connection between purpose and longevity adds a compelling dimension to the conversation about the future of co-working with AI.
In fact, if we have purposeful and meaningful work, we tend to live longer.
Demographic Shifts and Generational Divides
The webinar also touched on significant demographic shifts and the differing mindsets of various generations. Understanding these shifts is crucial for marketers looking to connect with diverse audiences. And while much attention is often given to Gen Z, Tobaccowala pointed out the importance of understanding that most of the discretionary wealth is held by older generations.
Most of the wealth in the world is held by people over 50 years old.
The Underhyped Potential of AI
Despite the hype surrounding AI, Tobaccowala argued that its true potential is still vastly underestimated.
For everything that we have heard about AI, I will put forth the proposition that AI is still very underhyped.
The exponential growth and increasing sophistication of AI suggest that we are only beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible. Tobaccowala believes that the capabilities of AI are only just beginning to be understood, emphasizing its potential impact across many areas of business.
AI and Real-Time Decision Making
One of the most significant benefits of AI in marketing is its ability to facilitate faster, more informed decision-making.
It allows marketers to have much faster real-time decision making… to think broadly about many variables versus just few narrow variables driving marketing.
This capability allows companies to turbocharge their growth and gain a competitive edge. With AI’s power to process and analyze vast amounts of data, marketers can gain a more holistic view of their strategies and make adjustments as needed.
The Existential Opportunities of AI
Beyond efficiency and effectiveness, AI presents opportunities for businesses to fundamentally transform their models and create entirely new revenue streams.
If you truly understand your business from a 360 angle, you might actually find not only ways to make your current business model more efficient and effective, but create completely new businesses and new business models based on insights.
Companies are encouraged to look at how AI can reshape not just existing processes, but also create entirely new markets and ways of doing business.
Marketplaces: Plug and Play Growth
Tobaccowala highlighted the crucial role of new marketplaces in facilitating rapid globalization and access to cost-effective technologies. This is vital for understanding how businesses can achieve growth in the current environment.
Whether it's Uber, Etsy, or Amazon Web Services…it allows companies and people to plug and play, globalize very quickly, and reach new technologies cost-effectively.
Tobaccowala also advocated for the democratization of knowledge, suggesting that making raw data and basic information freely available can spur innovation and growth.
Make knowledge free — not necessarily insights, not necessarily actionable
inspiration, but just the base data and knowledge.
The Time to Adapt is Now
All said, the webinar made it clear that the future of growth lies in the collaboration between humans and machines. By embracing AI and leveraging its capabilities, marketers can unlock new levels of efficiency, creativity, and strategic decision-making. The time for transformation is today.
Want to hear more?
Watch the full webinar here including the fascinating Q&A session with our attendees.
Interested in Mutinex?
We’re busy building a growth co-pilot with AI at its very heart.
Book a demo and we’ll send you a free copy of Rethinking Work.