Editorial
However, the book takes a unique two-part approach: the first half curates insights from AI thought leaders, answering the "what's happening?" question, while the second half shifts to the practical — helping readers understand "what should they do about it?" This approach makes the book accessible and actionable, blending strategic context with real-world application. For business leaders, especially marketing leaders looking to demystify AI and begin applying it thoughtfully, "AI First" is a worthy read.
What Is Happening? Altman, Hoffman & Gates Weigh In
88% of senior leaders express interest in generative AI — yet 80% are not using it.
Brotman and Sack start by exploring how artificial intelligence is not just disrupting, but actively redefining business. Central to the book is a clear-eyed look at the world of AI, drawn from conversations with leading voices like Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman and Bill Gates. These leaders provide a candid view of the present and near future landscape, one where AI becomes increasingly integral to white-collar knowledge work.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
Altman centers his vision around the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) — AI capable of independent scientific breakthroughs. Altman predicts AGI could arrive within five years, and with it, a radical shift: up to 95% of today’s marketing tasks — strategy, creative development, testing — are being executed instantly and at minimal cost by machines. This includes not only AI-generated content but also synthetic focus groups to predict campaign effectiveness. The authors provocatively ask: what if the creative ideas themselves originated from AI? To be fair, Eric Siegel — author, professor and founder of Machine Learning Week — told this author recently that while generative AI and agents are impressive, AGI remains, for now, science fiction.
Reid Hoffman, Former CEO of LinkedIn
Hoffman sees the current moment as one of human-machine collaboration rather than replacement. He emphasizes that much of modern work is about processing information and generating action — tasks well-suited for AI augmentation. In Hoffman’s words, “AI is like the steam engine for the mind.”
He suggests that AGI, arriving within 3–7 years, will bring human-like agency to AI systems, multiplying workforce productivity tenfold. For sales and marketing, this means fewer people doing data entry and more AI agents qualifying for leads or generating campaigns, while humans steer strategy and creativity. In this unique environment, Brotman and Sack say businesses must embrace an AI first mindset — just as they did with "digital first" a decade ago.
Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft
Gates adds that seeing ChatGPT was like standing on the edge of a new world. Microsoft’s own experience with AI copilots shows clear productivity gains, especially in coding and content creation. Gates points to how AI optimizes resources, enabling greater efficiency and effectiveness in professional settings. In contrast to past automation that primarily affected blue-collar roles, AI is now permeating the ranks of knowledge workers, impacting tasks that require creativity, writing and analytical thinking.
Yet, Brotman and Sack are clear: not every business function is ready for AI — and not every worker is equipped. AI, they argue, is an amplifier of human capability, not a wholesale replacement. It can especially benefit less experienced workers, acting as a leveling tool. Still, they warn of a looming disparity: uneven AI fluency among professionals.
Brotman and Sack’s interviews reveal a striking gap between curiosity and action: 88% of senior leaders express interest in generative AI, yet 80% are not using it, and only 28% have it in production, according to 2025 Dresner Advisory Services research. The organizations leading in business intelligence — those with extremely or very successful BI initiatives — are also the ones most actively adopting generative AI, with adoption rates of 82% and 88%, respectively. This underscores the broader challenge: while early adopters are already gaining a competitive edge, widespread success hinges on strategic, holistic adoption. As MIT-CISR notes, companies that industrialize their data and improve customer experience outperform peers in growth and revenue.
Related Article: What Actual AI Usage Data Tells Leaders About the Work Ahead
Benchmarks for AI Maturity: Levels 0-5
Brotman and Sack introduce a compelling AI maturity model that frames progress not just by adoption, but by performance relative to human capability.
| Maturity Level | Stage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Level 0 | None | Organizations operate with no AI. |
| Level 1 | Emerging | AI performs marginally better than an unskilled human, useful but limited. |
| Level 2 | Competent | Reflects parity with the median skilled adult. |
| Level 3 | Expert | Signifies performance at the 90th percentile. |
| Level 4 | Virtuoso | AI outperforms 99% of humans in a specific domain. |
| Level 5 | Superhuman | AI that consistently exceeds even the best human performance. |
This model does not just measure technical advancement; it offers a roadmap for business leaders to assess where their AI initiatives stand and where they need to go in an era where AI maturity could define competitive survival.
Translating AI Hype Into an Execution Plan
Brotman and Sack set out to answer: What does the rapid evolution of generative AI mean for brand builders and marketers? To ground this inquiry, they first defined the modern marketer’s job — a wide-ranging mix of market research, competitive analysis, strategy, content creation, SEO, advertising, public relations, customer engagement, data analytics, regulatory compliance, automation and user experience. It is an intricate blend of art, science and execution — making it fertile ground for AI transformation.
Yet the authors argue that AI’s impact will not simply be about replacing tasks. Marketers will not vanish; they will evolve. Research, strategic thinking, content oversight and campaign orchestration will remain human-driven, even as AI reshapes how those tasks are executed. Adopting an AI-first marketing strategy means more than automation — it means a redefinition of roles. Large language models (LLMs), for example, can now draft blog posts, generate campaign ideas and even design content calendars. In this new paradigm, marketers shift from being creators to curators — steering content direction, editing outputs and ensuring brand alignment.
The authors identify three seismic shifts AI will drive in marketing:
- Creativity: AI disrupts creativity by accelerating ideation and enabling new forms of expression.
- Productivity: AI boosts productivity by eliminating much of the time, say the authors, spent on data wrangling and manual processes, allowing marketers to focus on insight and optimization.
- Personalization: AI unlocks real personalization — beyond simple name drops or demographic segmentation — to dynamic, one-to-one content experiences at scale.
Looking ahead, marketing will increasingly revolve around setting strategic goals, managing budgets, guiding AI with context, offering iterative feedback and fine-tuning outputs. The most valuable marketers will not be those who do it all themselves, but those who can think critically, delegate wisely to AI systems and continuously optimize performance. In short, AI-first marketing does not eliminate the marketer — it upgrades them.
How to Think Like an AI-First Leader
Brotman and Sack urge business leaders to recognize the current moment as a strategic inflection point. If — as Sam Altman suggests — 95% of marketing could soon be managed by AGI, organizations must begin adapting now or risk falling behind. This looming disruption is both a massive opportunity and a significant threat. The smartest companies, the authors argue, will respond by putting AI at the center of their strategy — what they call adopting an "AI-First" mindset.
To navigate this shift, Brotman and Sack lay out a playbook. It begins by creating AI-empowered professionals — team members who use AI tools like ChatGPT to supercharge decision-making, speed and output. Wharton professor Ethan Mollick echoes this view, arguing that those with an AI-First mindset will outperform peers across all functions and industries. These professionals will not just automate tasks, they will amplify their strategic and creative contributions.
The authors then define three stages of developing this mindset:
- Literacy: In the initial stages, individuals become aware of AI’s capabilities and begin experimenting.
- Proficiency: As they progress to proficiency, they integrate AI into daily workflows.
- Fluency: At the fluent level, AI is leveraged to drive substantial gains in business performance, impacting margins, productivity and market position.
Advancing through these stages requires continuous learning, a principle rooted in growth mindset and lean thinking.
Brotman and Sack next outline core traits of AI-first organizations: relentless learning and adaptation, customer-centric innovation, strategic AI integration, operational scalability and proactive transformation. However, research from MIT-CISR and Dresner Advisory Services shows that only 28% of organizations are truly executing on this vision today.
To close this gap, the authors recommend a structured approach: build AI education programs, form an internal AI council, define clear use policies, develop a roadmap with pilot initiatives and conduct regular AI readiness and AGI horizon assessments. Equally important is cultivating a culture of transformation — marked by openness to change, a sense of urgency, optimism tempered with realism and a mission-driven purpose. A standout example is Moderna, which embraced AI early on by investing in foundational data capabilities like data catalogs. This early commitment enabled rapid scalability and positioned the company for innovation at speed — proof that an AI-First mindset, paired with smart infrastructure, creates powerful competitive advantages.
Related Article: AI Literacy Is the New Must-Have Workplace Skill
The Bottom Line for Business Leaders
In "AI First," Brotman and Sack offer a timely, no-nonsense roadmap for non-technical leaders navigating the generative AI wave. By pairing insights from industry pioneers with practical strategies, they answer two urgent questions: What’s happening? and What should you do about it? Their framework empowers executives to shift mindsets, embrace organizational change and use AI as a lever for competitive advantage. As AI reshapes the business landscape, this book makes one thing clear: the future belongs to leaders who act with intent, learn fast and put AI at the core of their strategy.
Here are my three takeaways from the book.
1. AI Is a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement
Brotman and Sack emphasize that AI will reshape rather than replace marketing roles. As automation oversees routine tasks, marketers will evolve into strategic curators — guiding AI, refining outputs and driving brand value.
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2. An AI-First Mindset Is the New Strategic Imperative
Adopting AI is no longer optional. The authors outline a maturity model — Literacy, Proficiency, Fluency — that helps leaders assess their progress and embed AI across culture, processes and strategy to stay competitive.
3. Curiosity Is Not Enough — Execution Wins
While interest in AI is high, real adoption lags. Companies that build internal capabilities, invest in education and pilot AI use cases today will gain a lasting edge as AI maturity becomes a key driver of performance and growth.
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