Marketers draw the line on AI autonomy

Trust remains a key factor in determining how much authority marketers give AI

StackAdapt has released a global report examining how marketers are deciding which advertising decisions can be delegated to artificial intelligence and where human oversight remains necessary.

The AI Delegation Gap report is based on a survey of 500 marketing and advertising professionals across North America, EMEA and APAC, alongside insights from 187 StackAdapt customers. It introduces a framework for assessing where marketers are comfortable with AI recommending, preparing, optimizing or taking actions.

Marketers set limits on AI autonomy

The report finds that 90 percent of respondents are comfortable with AI recommending actions, while 89 percent support AI preparing actions for human approval. That confidence falls to 78 percent when AI acts within human-defined rules and to 50 percent when AI operates autonomously, even when its performance has been demonstrated.

Ryan Nelsen, Chief Marketing Officer at StackAdapt: "The conversation around AI is shifting from how marketers use it to how much decision-making authority they're willing to give it. That's the AI Delegation Gap. As marketers build confidence in AI, they're gaining a clearer understanding of where it creates value and where human judgment remains essential. How those responsibilities are divided will shape the next generation of advertising."

AI adoption grows while integration lags

Nearly eight in 10 marketers, or 79 percent, feel pressure to increase AI usage, while 59 percent say leadership expectations exceed their organization's readiness. Only 19 percent report that their AI tools are fully integrated into marketing and advertising workflows.

Trust remains a key factor in determining how much authority marketers give AI. Brand risk, cited by 63 percent of respondents, is the leading barrier, followed by data quality concerns at 56 percent and lack of transparency at 36 percent.

Marketers seek explainable AI recommendations

Reporting and summaries are the most common AI use case, cited by 77 percent of respondents, followed by performance analysis at 74 percent. The findings indicate that marketers increasingly want AI to identify risks, explain changes in performance and recommend actions rather than simply automate reporting.

More than nine in 10 marketers, or 91 percent, now use AI in marketing or advertising, while 88 percent say it has improved marketing performance. Adoption is consistent across North America at 91 percent, EMEA at 90 percent and APAC at 92 percent.

Human oversight remains central to key decisions

Marketers continue to retain stronger human oversight over decisions involving long-term business outcomes, including budget allocation, targeting strategy, creative messaging and brand direction. The report highlights the importance of AI systems that can explain their reasoning, work within defined guardrails and complement human expertise.

Ryan Nelsen: "Organizations that succeed with AI won't be the ones that automate the most. They'll be the ones that define clear decision boundaries, governance and accountability as AI takes on greater authority across advertising workflows."

The report identifies six principles for responsible AI delegation: context, transparency, control, testability, accountability and connected infrastructure. StackAdapt says these elements can help organizations expand AI's role in advertising while maintaining governance and human oversight.

The full report can be accessed here

www.stackadapt.com

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