AI inertia: the cost of chaos
CMOs have not only embraced generative and predictive AI – they’re driving it into their organization. And, when it comes to agentic AI, they recognize its potential to unlock true leadership autonomy. But only one in 10 have adopted agentic AI. Why? Because of confidence, concern, complexity and coordination.
AI inertia: the cost of chaos
CMOs have not only embraced generative and predictive AI – they’re driving it into their organization. And, when it comes to agentic AI, they recognize its potential to unlock true leadership autonomy. But only one in 10 have adopted agentic AI. Why? Because of confidence, concern, complexity and coordination.
From LLMs to predictive analytics, CMOs are not only wielding AI tools but are now shaping their organization’s AI strategy alongside the rest of the C-suite.
80% say they are a leading voice in AI governance and transformation roadmaps – and a further 86% confidently prove its ROI within marketing to the board.
But there’s a gap between ambition and reality. While businesses want fast, transformative AI wins, many marketing teams are still battling messy, disconnected data (40%), limited in-house expertise (38%) and growing concerns around accuracy, privacy and IP (34%). And that means many are still stuck in the experimental phase, struggling to scale transformative change and lasting impact.
Meanwhile, C-suite pressures are tightening. Gartner reports that most CMOs aren’t seen as AI savvy by their board. At the same time, our research shows that CMOs are being asked to deliver enterprise-level transformation at startup speed (40%), often without the systems, skills or operational maturity (40%) needed to scale it effectively.
“The adoption of AI presents unique challenges for the marketing function. The bespoke nature of both marketing campaigns and marketing teams makes introducing standardized AI workflows more complex.
Although marketers are already using generative AI in pockets for content creation, it’s more challenging to introduce AI systematically and rethink whole marketing workflows and structures.
CMOs must start with an up-to-date understanding of the latest applications of agentic AI, to know where the technology can – and should – be used.”
The agentic disconnect
CMOs know agentic AI will fundamentally reshape their leadership role. They know it will help them reclaim time, accelerate decision-making and shift focus back to work that drives growth.
85% believe agentic AI will unlock greater leadership autonomy.
But that belief isn’t translating into action yet. Just one in 10 (13%) say agentic AI has been implemented within their business. And 25% have never used it at all.
The disconnect is striking. And, for CMOs betting on future growth, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“We’re facing a situation where leaders are confident in a technology they’ve never touched. This is a dangerous blind spot. We need CMOs to get hands on with agentic AI, to gain a real understanding of what’s possible (and what isn’t).
Pilots are invaluable for seeing AI on the ground and evaluating the ROI of the technology. Follow an incremental rollout, starting with one high-volume, repetitive workflow, track the baseline before the launch and aim to see initial ROI signals within 60–90 days.”
Only 15% of CMOs are considered to be AI-savvy by their own CEOs
Gartner 2025 CEO survey
How agentic AI is transforming marketing leadership
Always-on content growth Ongoing identification of content opportunities, asset creation and optimization without waiting for human intervention.
One-to-one customer journeys at scale Dynamic orchestration of the next best action for every customer in real time, adapting messaging, channels and timing to individual behavior.
Autonomous media performance Maximizing marketing efficiency by continuously reallocating spend, optimizing bids and responding instantly to market changes.
Self-optimizing personalization Automatic generation, testing and refinement of creative variations, delivering hyper-relevant experiences that improve performance over time.
Instant lead engagement and conversion Immediate qualification, nurturing and response to leads, accelerating sales cycles and improving conversion rates through personalized interactions.
High-performing marketers are 2x more likely to use agentic AI
State of Marketing 10th edition report
Why aren’t CMOs adopting agentic AI?
think the complexity of implementing agentic AI outweighs potential commercial and operational benefits
are concerned the technology will make core aspects of their teams’ roles redundant
know AI will change their role – but only 32% believe they need to upgrade their skills accordingly
“One of the common challenges reported by CMOs is being asked to look at AI, but not being given additional budget.
So one of the things that I’ve seen work is starting small and proving and quantifying that value early on. Success breeds success; it’s the incremental and marginal gains that build upon each other.
Once you show that initial success, it starts to snowball. The board gets on board, and then you start to unlock more funding and support.”
