Head to the internet and you’ll find endless statistics, theories, and conclusions on the impact artificial intelligence will ultimately have on businesses—and on society more broadly.

In fact, a lot of it is happening already. The emergence of generative AI is already helping companies streamline their workflows and problem-solve. AI tools are assisting analysts in interpreting data to answer critical business questions. And, they’re helping managers in tactical decision-making.

Along the way, this emerging technology also presents a wide range of opportunities (and implications) for the workforce, particularly as these tools become increasingly integrated into our day-to-day lives, both at home and at work.

A column in the Wall Street Journal noted that even companies that were slower to adopt earlier innovations, such as the smartphone and social media, have already gotten on board with AI tools.

That dovetails with a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, which concluded that AI’s adoption has occurred at a more rapid pace than that of the internet or personal computers—a sign of how widespread the use of tools like ChatGPT has already become across demographics.

In the realm of business, part of what makes the rise of AI so significant is its vast impact across numerous industries, with a myriad of applications, whether you work in finance, healthcare, transportation, or hospitality (among many other sectors).

And AI tools are poised to transform many more industries in the next few years.

We asked some top experts from a cross-section of major business industries to share their perspectives on how they envision the growth of AI impacting their field.

Finance

In the financial sector, AI figures to play a major role in upending how companies analyze data and, in turn, make decisions, said Tim Timura, professor of finance and real estate at American University’s Kogod School of Business.

“AI is revolutionizing finance by providing faster and more accurate platforms for the analysis of larger and higher quality data sets,” Timura said. “This enhanced analytical capability in turn allows for better risk assessment and independent-minded decision-making in pursuit of higher risk-adjusted returns on capital.”

A 2024 survey by KPMG, focusing on the finance sector, found that 88 percent of companies were using AI in some capacity, and that for 92 percent of the firms surveyed, the technology had met or exceeded their return on investment expectations.

Marketing

AI is already leading to vast changes in the marketing sphere, offering new opportunities to companies that may have had more limited budgets to produce content and brand assets. 

“Generative AI is making content creation more scalable, consistent, and approachable for many businesses,”  offered Kelli Frias, professor of marketing at Kogod.

“For small businesses and startups with limited marketing resources, generative AI can be particularly helpful in developing a brand, creating promotional campaigns, and improving lead generation. It may even create customer profiles that provide companies with a deeper understanding of their target markets.” 

Still, any manager overseeing the deployment of AI into their marketing strategy should offer their team guardrails in integrating these tools, Frias cautioned. 

It’s a reminder of the steadfast importance of human workers at a time when concerns about AI’s arrival have simultaneously ushered in uncertainty about its impact on the global workforce, as spelled out in an Axios story about a so-called “white-collar bloodbath.”