Written As Someone Who’s Seen AI Go From Buzzword to the most important word.

It’s 2040. Or maybe you’re reading this in 2025 and thinking, “What’s this person even talking about?” Either way, this is my honest attempt to document what I believe life and especially marketing will look like in 2040.

I’ve written this after reading up & attending way too many seminars, panels, and industry meetups. Everyone was talking about one thing:

AI. AI. AI.

AI for design. AI for planning. AI for supply chain. AI for advertising. Even AI to make AI better. At some point, I had to ask myself is all this about staying relevant, or about trying to outshine the next guy?

Either way, here’s what I think life and marketing will look like in 2040. And if you’re reading this in 2040, sit back and laugh (or cry) at how close or far off I was.

The Work Life We Used to Know Is Gone

In 2040, work is mostly managed by AI assistants. No more typing out long emails or making 50-slide presentations your AI will do it all based on a voice command.

• Marketers will no longer “write” campaigns they’ll “prompt” them.
• Every brand campaign will have 20 versions auto-generated for 20 types of customers.
• Product launches will be personalized at scale your AI knows your buyer better than they know themselves.
• And yes, customer care will be handled by bots that can understand sarcasm, bad moods, and your aunt’s weird shopping questions.

Marketing in 2040 — All About the Feels (Still)

Even though AI will run the backend, marketers will still be responsible for emotions.

• Selling a car? Your AI script better bring in nostalgia, urgency, and a cat in the ad.
• Promoting a fashion brand? You’ll have 1-second vertical holograms designed for smart glasses.
• Influencers? Half of them will be virtual. The other half won’t admit they are.

Campaigns won’t go viral they’ll be engineered to “emotionally resonate at 9/10 intensity” with your top 3 customer personas. Marketing will still be storytelling. But instead of pen and paper, you’ll use prompts and dashboards.

AR, Smart Clothes & Fashion Flashbacks

• AR glasses will replace phones and double as your camera, shopping tool, and playlist player.
• Smart clothes that change color will be the new mood rings (hello, color-coded Mondays).
• Fashion will be wild baggy jeans and dyed hair are back.
• Expect bright, over-the-top architecture and maximalist everything. Minimalism? That was so 2020s.

Tech, Cars & Cool Stuff

• Every car will be electric, unless it’s a supercar running on e-fuels or nostalgia.
• Phones, tablets, laptops? Still around. Just thinner, smarter, and maybe foldable 10 ways.
• VR/AR will still be used mostly at home marketers will have a field day with immersive ad experiences.
• Cloud gaming will be big, but won’t kill the “real” console. Gamers are loyal.
• And the AI boom? Might’ve already plateaued by 2040. Overfeeding models with internet junk = boring results.

Money, Society & a Bit of Madness

• Universal Basic Income may exist or at least everyone will argue about it.
• Digital currency? Still in debate, probably.
• People might be nostalgic for the 2020s (yup, banana bread and Zoom calls included).

Final Word: Marketing With a Soul

Even in a world run by AI, one thing won’t change the need to connect.

In 2040, marketers won’t just sell products. They’ll design emotions, craft digital personalities, and trigger memories. And that, dear reader, will never be automated completely.

So, if you’re reading this now, keep learning. Keep adapting. But never forget that the best campaigns the ones that stick still make people feel something.

And if you’re reading this in 2040, I hope you’re smiling at how right (or hilariously wrong) I was.