Gartner Predictions for AI and Jobs (it's a mixed bag)


26 July 2023 | Issue #7

Industry analyst Gartner released some recent recearch on how AI will impact jobs.

The TLDR version is that Gartner expects AI's job impact to be net neutral by 2026.

By 2036 Gartner expects there to be 500,000 new human jobs due to AI.

While this sounds good, it may not apply to your job.

Around 1900, 40% of the US worked on farms. Today that number is closer to 1.6%. Now this may sound really alarming, but these workers in 1900 didn't have career choices like SEO manager or video game architect.

Times change and some jobs can be automated. We all know that most companies will save a dollar if it's possible. And if that means replacing a person with some form of automation, they'll do it.

Can your job be automated and still provide 80% of the value for 20% of the cost? If so, how are you preparing for your future?

In my most recent article, I dig further into Gartner's predictions.

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

Graphic Design Statistics (How Many Graphic Designers Are There?)

I just read an eye-opening article about our graphic design world.

  • Globally, our market is worth $43.4 billion with over half a million of us, and 265,000 in the US. Most of us are freelancers and our numbers are set to grow by 3% by 2031.
  • Trend-wise, we're seeing a revival of fluorescent colors and 90s nostalgia. And guess what? Photoshop still reigns supreme in our software toolkit.

Keep reading for more detailed insights and statistics about the graphic design industry.

Seven AI Companies Commit to Safeguards at the White House's Request

Big AI players like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are stepping up their game in response to a nudge from the White House.

  • These tech giants have voluntarily agreed to follow certain principles to ensure the responsible development of their AI technology. The catch? This agreement will only hold until Congress passes legislation to regulate AI.
  • The companies have agreed to eight measures focusing on safety, security, and social responsibility. These include allowing independent experts to test models, investing in cybersecurity, and even watermarking AI-generated content.

Here's the full article.

The Rise of AI UX: How to Design AI Assistants that Users Will Love

The rise of AI user experience (UX) and how to design AI assistants that users will love.

  • The piece talks about the concept of AI "copilots" - AI agents that collaborate with you on tasks through natural conversation. It's like having a helpful assistant embedded right in your workflow. But designing these copilots is not as simple as it seems and requires a lot of thoughtfulness and care.
  • The article shares some insider tips on crafting a copilot, from managing expectations to continuous improvement. It also emphasizes the importance of a collaborative approach involving design, research, engineering, content strategy, and trust and safety teams.

Want to know more? Here's the full article.

Also, I'm now offering a 15-minute one-on-one to help you set up your generative AI systems. If you don't know where to get started, let's chat!

Next week I'll write about how designers can prove their worth. I know I said I would do this last week, but the Gartner report seemed more timely.

If you know anyone that might find this newsletter useful, let them know they should sign up now.

HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

If you want to learn more about what's available, here are some links:

Thanks for reading!

-Jim

Let's chat about your career growth

14 Grapevine Road, Merrimack, NH 03054
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Marketing by Design – Intentional strategy for creative marketers in the age of AI

AI is redefining the marketing landscape. Stay ahead with this weekly newsletter on trends & how to prepare your career for an AI future.

Read more from Marketing by Design – Intentional strategy for creative marketers in the age of AI
Illustration of a marketer yelling his new brand at a robot and the robot doesn't care

21 September 2026 | Issue #135 In this issue: What Happens When You Rebrand and AI Doesn't Care? New Research on AI Citations and Content Marketing Trademarked! Design quote of the week Your Rebrand Launched. ChatGPT Doesn’t Care. Every rebrand ends the same way. Website updated. Socials updated. Sales deck updated. High-fives and celebratory drinks all around. Job done, right? Not even close. If you’ve done this in the past, you know it’s more than that. But if it's been a while since your...

Listening to music

08 September 2026 | Issue #134 In this issue: Focus on the Audience Who Wants to Hire You IBM Should Have Won the AI Race Project Management for Freelancers Design quote of the week Some People Want Vinyl, Some Want Spotify I don’t know about you, but I see a lot of people lamenting businesses’ use of AI to create their marketing content. So much of it is hot garbage, but there’s no reason for marketers and creators to get upset about this. And if you look at it from a different angle,...

A robot building a website under the supervision of a human

31 August 2026 | Issue #133 In this issue: Building a Site with Claude Code Podcast Appearances Project Management for Freelancers Design quote of the week I Built My Website With Claude Code And it's been going great! I can easily make edits, add new pages, it's hosted for free, and it's performing better than ever. The Backstory A couple of months ago, I mentioned on Threads how I had used ChatGPT (and later Claude) to help me create a WordPress theme for a site. Someone asked why I didn't...