Gartner survey finds 70% of CMOs prioritize AI, but 30% have infrastructure
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
A Gartner survey found 70% of CMOs prioritize AI leadership as a key goal for 2026, but only 30% believe their organization has the necessary infrastructure. The survey, which included 401 CMOs and marketing professionals, reveals a gap between executive intent and operational capacity to deploy AI at scale. The readiness gap is attributed to fragmented data foundations, unclear decision rights, and inconsistent processes. Marketing budgets are largely flat, with 15.3% directed toward AI on average, but better-equipped organizations allocate 21.3% to AI. This disparity highlights the challenges in scaling AI adoption.
💡 Why It Matters
- · The gap between AI ambition and infrastructure readiness exposes organizations to inefficient AI investments.
- · Better-equipped organizations allocate more to AI, indicating a link between AI program maturity and budget positioning.