75% of marketers use AI weekly, but only 29% have received formal training, according to a study on the state of artificial intelligence in marketing conducted by the Association for Data-Driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA).
The report, ‘AI, Talent & Trust: A New Blueprint for Marketing Leadership’, is based on ADMA’s AI in Marketing survey, which had 1,000 marketers respond, and shows a potential skills imbalance that risks undermining long-term progress.
“The future isn’t coming – it’s already here. AI is no longer a curiosity on the side; it’s already in our workflows, campaigns and customer conversations,” said Andrea Martens, CEO of ADMA.
“But while AI can generate at scale, it cannot imagine, empathise or judge. That is why this report goes beyond technology – it is about people, creativity and trust. By providing clear frameworks and ethical guardrails, we want to ensure marketers can lead with confidence and unlock the full potential of an AI-powered future.”
The report found that marketers are primarily using AI to support, rather than automate, their work, with applications spanning content creation, idea generation, and refining brand tone. More than 70% of respondents remain optimistic about AI’s long-term impact on effectiveness, but there are still major concerns around content oversaturation, originality, and data privacy.
Among the report’s key recommendations are the creation and support of “X-shaped” professionals – people with broad skills across creativity, strategy, and data, who also have deep expertise in a specialist areas – as well as the importance of embedding a culture of experimentation through testing sandboxes, team “AI champions”, and peer-to-peer learning.
One of the biggest hurdles for marketers is the issue of trust around AI. Only 36% of Australians say they trust AI, with ADMA encouraging marketers to take the lead in embedding Fairness, Accountability, Transparency and Ethics (FATE) into workflows.
The report is one of the key initiatives under ADMA’s new National Workforce Intelligence Partnership with workforce intelligence provider Reejig, a project that maps in real time how AI is reshaping roles, tasks, and skills across marketing.
The broader agenda includes ADMA’s Capability Compass, ADMA’s proprietary, future-focused assessment tool that tracks how marketing skills are evolving; workforce intelligence through the partnership with Reejig; and ADMA’s Regulatory and Advocacy leadership.
The report was unveiled on the day of ADMA’s Global Forum in Sydney, and is authored by AI practitioners Lisa Talia Moretti and Daniel Bluzer-Fry.
It includes insights from industry leaders including futurist Tom Goodwin, Deloitte partner David Phillips, Zip Co’s senior director of marketing research Sonny Sethi, Archie CEO Steve Brennen, and ADMA regulatory expert Peter Leonard – all members of ADMA’s Advisory Council – plus contributions from Reejig CEO Siobhan Savage and ADMA policy manager Dr Sage Kelly.
