The human side of AI: What B2B marketing leaders say behind closed doors
When you bring senior B2B marketing leaders together to talk about AI, the conversation moves from hype to honest insight. That’s exactly what happened at StudioNorth’s first AI Executive Roundtable.
TL;DR
- Leaders are done with theory. AI is moving from curiosity to accountability.
- Insight beats output. The smartest B2B brands are using AI to see farther, not just move faster.
- Visual design is data now. How your brand shows up in AI systems will define visibility and trust.
- Human-led teams are the differentiator. They turn AI potential into purpose.
What is the AI Executive Roundtable?
It’s an invitation-only event hosted by StudioNorth that brings senior B2B marketing leaders together to discuss how AI is reshaping their strategies, teams, and brands. The goal: real talk about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next in AI-driven marketing innovation.
A human-led approach to AI
StudioNorth CEO Mark Mohr opened with a reminder that grounded the entire evening:
“AI may power the message, but humanity gives it meaning.”
He compared this transformation to the dawn of desktop publishing, a shift that rewarded early adopters. Heads nodded. Everyone in the room felt it. AI isn’t replacing marketing. It’s redefining it.
The research: From hesitation to acceleration
We shared early findings from our 2025 B2B AI Adoption Study, which surfaced three truths shaping today’s marketing leaders:
- Change management, not tech, is the biggest barrier to adoption.
- Creative teams are quickly moving from cautious to confident in exploring new ways to leverage AI in visual design.
- Predictive analytics and strategic insights now drive the greatest value.
As one marketing leader from a global tech firm said,
“We thought AI was about efficiency. It’s really about insight. Seeing what we couldn’t see before.”
That line stuck. It reframed the conversation for the rest of the night.
The “wow” moment: AI-powered personal advisory boards
Each participant met their own AI-powered Personal Advisory Board, a custom GPT curated for their role, company, and industry.
The reactions said it all:
“It’s like it read my mind.”
— VP Marketing, Fortune 200 Technology
“It gave me next steps and metrics that were spot-on.”
— Marketing Director, Global Healthcare Equipment & Services
“It understood our acquisition challenges instantly.”
— VP Marketing, Global Insurance Brokerage
For many, it was the first time AI felt personal, practical, and genuinely useful.
Creative with soul: Design as a change lever
Executive Creative Director Bill Maday led a conversation on how design now shapes how AI learns about brands. We explored how every visual and verbal design choice becomes training data for how AI understands your brand.
The next competitive edge for brands: being top-of-model, not just top-of-mind.
That insight hit hard. It positions visual design as a strategic lever for future brand visibility. If AI can’t recognize your brand, you won’t appear in your customer’s AI-driven search results.
What the leaders agreed on
By the end of the evening, leaders reached clear consensus around six takeaways:
- AI is an amplifier. It scales clarity and confidence.
- Change management is the multiplier. Your business’ culture decides the speed of adoption.
- Visual design is data. It contributes to how AI learns what your brand stands for.
- AI readiness is a leadership issue. The C-suite sets the pace and culture for adoption.
- Efficiency is the on-ramp. Insight is the destination.
- AI-powered personal advisory boards are here to stay. They make strategy feel personal.
Key takeaway
AI doesn’t replace creative leadership. It rewards it. The brands that lead tomorrow will be those that use AI to turn intelligence into momentum.
