Marketers embrace AI but struggle with readiness, report

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming modern advertising, driving change across media planning, creative optimization, and audience engagement.

However, a new global report from programmatic media partner MiQ reveals that while 72 percent of marketers intend to expand their use of AI in the next year, only 45 percent feel confident in applying it effectively. The findings highlight an industry eager to innovate but still building the skills to do so.

The AI Confidence Curve report, based on responses from 3,169 marketers across 16 countries, explores how marketing teams are using AI and how ready they feel to deploy it. The data shows a widening gap between enthusiasm and expertise, suggesting that confidence is lagging behind rapid adoption.

Usage outpaces readiness by 27 points

Jordan Bitterman, Chief Marketing Officer, MiQ: “We discovered that most marketers are bunched together at the early stages of a confidence curve. We’re at the start of a journey that will ultimately see us all move up the curve as we apply AI to more of our mission-critical work. Usage currently outpaces readiness by 27 percentage points, and we see that as pure opportunity. To close the gap, industry leaders must tap into tools and training.”

Marketers are already leveraging AI for social media management (40 percent), marketing automation (39 percent), and customer engagement (38 percent), areas where generative tools such as ChatGPT have proven useful. Yet many remain cautious due to limited understanding of how AI and large language models function. Forty percent of those lacking confidence say their organization does not understand AI well enough, often leading teams to rely on simplified, general-purpose tools.

Training and measurement gaps slow progress

Confidence barriers are also linked to structural challenges. Thirty-eight percent of marketers point to inadequate training, 42 percent cite data-sharing restrictions, and 44 percent struggle to connect AI-driven actions with the right performance metrics. Many continue to track results through proxy indicators such as clicks or traffic rather than measuring AI’s contribution to overall business outcomes.

Nearly two in five senior marketers (38 percent) say they are still building the infrastructure, education, and workflows needed to apply AI consistently. The same proportion report not receiving sufficient training on existing tools.

Building confidence through education and integration

Despite these challenges, the report outlines a path forward. It recommends adopting partner-agnostic solutions that connect data across platforms, integrating AI directly into performance measurement, and investing in continuous AI literacy training. MiQ also emphasizes the need to maintain human oversight, ensuring marketers remain central to interpretation and decision-making.

Jordan Bitterman: “Every marketer is trying to find the balance between learning and leading with AI. The ones who advance fastest will treat confidence as a capability, something built every day through connection, curiosity, and collaboration.”

The full report can be accessed here

www.wearemiq.com

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