Insights from top ad agencies: AI usage among marketers surges to 77%

The marketing industry experienced significant growth in AI adoption, with usage among marketers climbing from 44% in 2022 to 77% in 2024, as companies increasingly leverage AI tools for both internal operations and customer-facing content.

Current state of AI in marketing: The landscape of AI implementation shows a clear shift toward partnering with third-party vendors rather than developing in-house solutions.

• Marketing teams are primarily relying on established AI vendors and platforms rather than building proprietary AI systems
• Copy generation has surpassed chatbots as the most widely used AI application in marketing
• Internal efficiency tools are gaining prominence over customer-facing AI applications

Implementation trends: Organizations are carefully balancing the use of AI between internal operations and external communications.

• Companies maintain stricter quality control standards for customer-facing AI content compared to internal uses
• Marketing teams are developing different tolerance levels for AI-generated content based on its intended audience and purpose
• Video generation capabilities are emerging as a significant focus area for AI development in marketing

Expert perspectives: Industry leaders emphasize the growing sophistication of AI applications in marketing while highlighting important considerations.

• Industry professionals predict the rise of agentic AI, which can autonomously execute complex marketing tasks
• Custom AI models tailored to specific brand voices and marketing needs are becoming increasingly important
• Experts stress the importance of maintaining human oversight and creativity in AI-assisted marketing processes

Regulatory considerations: The marketing industry is grappling with evolving standards around AI content disclosure and transparency.

• Ongoing debates continue regarding the necessity and extent of labeling AI-generated content
• Companies are developing internal policies to address ethical concerns and maintain consumer trust
• Industry standards are emerging to guide the responsible use of AI in marketing communications

Looking ahead: Industry evolution: The marketing landscape is poised for further transformation as AI capabilities expand and mature in specialized areas like video content creation and personalized messaging, though questions remain about maintaining authentic brand voices while leveraging automation at scale.