State of Marketing AI Report

The 2025 State of Marketing AI Report, the fifth annual study from Marketing AI Institute and SmarterX, reveals marketers are rapidly embracing AI while facing significant challenges. The report surveyed nearly 1,900 marketing and business leaders, finding that 40% are in the experimentation phase with AI, 26% are integrating AI into workflows, and 17% are actively reimagining their jobs with AI. A striking 74% believe AI is critically or very important to their marketing success in the coming year.

While adoption is accelerating, the data shows pronounced gaps in organizational readiness. A concerning 68% of respondents lack proper AI training from their companies, with "lack of education and training" remaining the top barrier to AI adoption for the fifth consecutive year. The report also reveals increasing pessimism about AI's impact on jobs, with 53% believing more marketing jobs will be eliminated than created by AI—a 13 percentage point increase since 2023.

The findings highlight clear competitive advantages for professionals working at AI-forward companies. Organizations with AI roadmaps are roughly twice as likely to offer training, provide prompt engineering education, have an AI council, and implement AI ethics policies. The report concludes that AI literacy is rapidly becoming essential for career success, with the most advanced teams operating in companies that prioritize formal AI infrastructure and education. For more comprehensive insights, visit the Marketing AI Institute.