Copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz would be bullish on AI (and here’s why)

AI is the latest “mechanism” to solve marketing problems better, faster, cheaper

If Eugene Schwartz were alive today, he’d see AI as the latest in a long line of tools designed to do what he always emphasized: solving problems faster, smarter, and more efficiently. 

In Breakthrough Advertising, Schwartz famously explained that as markets evolve, products must continually introduce “new mechanisms to satisfy the same desires more effectively.” 

That’s exactly what AI is doing in SaaS today.

Klarna recently made the headlines by “replacing Salesforce and Workday with AI solutions” for ~3,800 employees. 

I’m not an AI technical expert or an enterprise IT specialist. However, after working with ~100 B2B SaaS organizations (many of which sell to enterprise customers) I’ve seen patterns across marketing, sales, and customer success teams.

As markets mature, the old promises become less effective, so innovation focuses on how well the solution is delivered rather than what problem it solves​.

As companies like Klarna replace traditional SaaS tools with AI, they’re following the same principle: solving problems in better ways with better tools.

And as a marketer, your job is to figure out how to leverage these advancements to build better processes, improve execution, and keep solving problems (just as Schwartz would have advised).

1) Build more things

As companies rethink their tech stacks, the opportunity for those who understand how to integrate AI is enormous. Whether it's content creation, distribution, sales funnels, customer data orchestration, or automation, knowing how to build with AI makes you competitive across the board.

2) Fundamentals + AI-enhanced execution

This is where it gets sexy. Being proficient in using AI models and pairing that with solid marketing and sales fundamentals (e.g., positioning, customer research) is increasingly valuable. The better you can blend AI literacy with traditional skills, the more opportunities you unlock. This is where the leverage comes in, AI lets the best people do more of the best work. 

3) More experience = more signal

If you’ve spent time experimenting with AI tools, you’ve likely developed a strong sense of which ones stick and why. Even if your skillset is tool-agnostic, you’re already ahead. You understand that communicating with models is more important than just “prompting” them. Many people miss out on this because they’re not paying attention, but your experience gives you an advantage.

Tons of ways to do this:

• You can create content about AI

• You can use the tools to experiment with workflows

• You can join a big tech company leading in AI

• You can work with AI clients as a freelancer / consultant

• You can work at an AI startup – at any stage

• You can build your own AI-focused project

And remember: the “first-mover advantage” in AI isn’t obvious right now. 

That’s why I’m offering you, as a marketer and copywriter, the clarity and mindset to take those first steps while others are hesitant.