#human-expertise

As AI reshapes martech by enabling companies to replace software vendors with AI-enabled tools, affiliate programs remain an area where technology alone falls short. According to MarTech, companies often treat affiliate marketing as a set-and-forget channel despite its average return of 12 to 15 times spend, leading to underutilization of martech stack capabilities.

As AI lowers barriers to building custom tools and challenges the per-seat SaaS model, companies are reassessing which platforms remain essential in their stacks, according to MarTech. This shift, referred to as the 'SaaSpocalypse,' involves replacing software vendors and IT services with AI-enabled alternatives, prompting marketers to evaluate affiliate marketing's role.

Affiliate marketing is not merely a channel but a portfolio of strategic partnerships that demands constant calibration,...

As AI reshapes martech by enabling companies to replace software vendors and IT services with custom tools, affiliate marketing remains an area where technology alone falls short, according to MarTech. Despite an average return of 12 to 15 times spend for affiliate programs, many companies treat them as set-and-forget channels, which backfires as per the source material.

Affiliate marketing is not merely a channel but a portfolio of strategic partnerships that demands constant calibration,...

Affiliate marketing continues to demand human expertise even as AI transforms the martech landscape, according to MarTech. Companies are replacing traditional software vendors with AI-enabled tools, and marketers are reassessing their tech stacks as AI lowers barriers to custom tool development.

As discussions around the 'SaaSpocalypse' highlight companies replacing software vendors and IT services with AI-enabled tools, marketers are reassessing which platforms remain essential in their stacks, according to [MarTech](https://martech.org/why-affiliate-marketing-still-needs-humans-in-the-ai-era/).