What Is an AI Agent? The Plain English Explainer for Marketers

In January 2026, a CMO at a six billion dollar software company scrapped his entire year's marketing plan only two weeks into the year. AI agents made it obsolete.

Stephanie Postles, CEO of Mission.org, and Lacey Peace, VP of Content, explain in plain English what AI agents are, why they are fundamentally different from the automations marketing teams rely on today, and what this shift means for marketing jobs, team structure, and the skills that will matter most going forward.

If you have confused AI agents with automation or wondered whether your role is safe, this episode gives a direct answer.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction
(01:51) The CMO Who Scrapped His 2026 Marketing Plan in January
(03:23) What Triggered This, and Why It Happened in Two Weeks
(06:30) What Is an AI Agent? (Plain English Definition)
(09:15) AI Agents vs. Automation: The Key Difference
(10:53) The Mindset Shift Required to Use AI Agents Effectively
(13:19) What Happens to Marketers in Execution Roles
(16:38) How Automation Reshaped Marketing Jobs Before
(17:40) Do Marketers Need to Understand AI Internals
(29:01) Is AI Coming for Marketing Jobs, The Honest Answer
(30:05) What Marketers Should Do Right Now
(37:28) Recap and What Is Coming Next

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