Everyone’s using AI. But very few are using it to grow pipeline.
Most marketers are spending 5–10 hours using AI a week — writing copy, summarizing content, and cleaning up messages. At the Signals Events Kelly Hopping CMO of Demandbase made one thing clear: using AI for the basics is not enough.
It’s time to move past the hype and start using AI to fuel go-to-market strategies.
Beyond GenAI: The Self-Driving GTM Stack
AI has shifted from a helpful tool to a transformational engine.
The future isn’t just about faster content. It’s about self-driving workflows — systems that know what to do next and act on it.
To get there, teams need:
- Connected workflows
- Unified, clean data
- Prescriptive models that drive action
If your data is messy or your tech stack is fragmented, AI won’t help — it’ll only make bad processes worse.
What GTM Teams Are Doing Today
Based on a recent Demandbase study:
- 91% have adopted AI
- 86% believe it will drive a positive impact on GTM
- But only 52% are satisfied with their organization’s AI adoption progress
Right now, top use cases include:
- Copywriting
- Research
- Account prioritization
- Buying signal analysis
- SDR enrichment
- Asset Creation
And the top emerging ones:
- Website personalization
- Personalization across sales and marketing
- Buying group engagement
- Pipeline forecasting
- Campaign automation
The key? Making sure your tools and teams all operate from the same data.
Why Most Orgs Are Stuck
Adoption is high — but alignment is low.
Most AI use today is scattered across tools and teams. One person is testing an SDR tool, another is using content AI, and another is trying to schedule automation.
There’s no shared strategy. No unified approach.
AI can’t create impact without structure.
There’s no shared strategy. No unified approach.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The AI Maturity Curve
Kelly outlines four clear stages of advancement:
- Trusted unified data & insights
- Predictive outcomes
- Prescriptive actions
- Automation across the full GTM stack
Most teams are still in stage 1 or 2. Few have reached full orchestration. To move forward, companies need trusted data, strong internal processes, and long-term AI partners who can prove value.
Dismisses vs. Explorers
Some teams are pushing AI forward and seeing real results — lower costs, better meetings, faster content. Others are holding back entirely.
That gap is widening.
The teams that embrace AI thoughtfully — with the right infrastructure, strategy, and tech stack — will win. The rest risk getting left behind.
The Pipeline Equation
AI won’t work if your data and tools are disconnected. Many teams today are using too many isolated AI tools, creating bloated, fragmented tech stacks where data doesn’t flow.
To make AI drive outcomes, you need:
- CRM, MAP, intent, and engagement data working together
- A platform that unifies your intelligence, data, and execution
- Automation that triggers action based on signal — not guesswork
This isn’t about layering on more tools. It’s about building a connected system that makes your entire GTM engine smarter, faster, and more efficient.
AI Won’t Replace Marketers — It Redefines Them
We’re moving from:
Humans doing every step → to Humans setting objectives and agents automating execution
That doesn’t eliminate jobs — it changes them.
Marketers will focus more on strategy, empathy, and differentiation — and less on repetitive workflows.
AI Can Grow Pipeline (If Used Right)
- Teams need clean data
- Unified intent signals
- AI-powered content acceleration
- Account-based orchestration
- Smart, scalable personalization
- Sales call insights and optimization
- Forecasting pipeline health and conversion
- Closed-loop feedback into product and campaigns
Each one depends on data, strategy, and integration. AI is the accelerant — but humans still lead the way.
As Kelly says “AI is the engine. Humans drive that engine. Your data is the battery that drive and powers that forward.”
Fully Reap the Rewards of Customer-Centricity I President | Growth Strategy Expert I International Professional Speaker I Best-Selling Author | Award-Winning Influencer | Board of Directors and Executive Advisor
5moDemandbase and Kelly Hopping I think this main point "Adoption is high — but alignment is low. Most AI use today is scattered across tools and teams," is the most important. Without alignment, we just have another way to create more random disconnected "acts of selling and marketing" faster.
Partnership Development @ SchoolAI
5moLoved the part of her session where she emphasized the importance of shifting humans to more empathetic and strategic parts of the journey and letting AI handle the mundane tasks. Great insights!!
Thank you Kelly Hopping for joining us at Talk AI Summit! She had great insights about the importance of clean data and how to really leverage AI to transform strategies instead of just replacing people.