Marketers lag on AI tools amid data & trust concerns

New research from GWI suggests many marketers are struggling to keep pace with rapid changes in marketing technology, even as spending on tools rises across the sector.

The study found that 9% of marketers describe themselves as "laggards" in adopting new tools, meaning they only take up technologies once they become mainstream. A further 35% identify as "late adopters".

Keeping up with marketing trends also emerged as a major professional pressure point. One in four marketers (25%) said it is their biggest challenge at work.

Adoption gap

The findings point to a gap between the availability of new tools and the confidence to use them. Fewer than one in five marketers (19%) describe themselves as innovators in adopting new technologies.

The data adds detail to the industry debate over whether marketing teams are moving quickly enough as suppliers roll out new products and updates. Over the past year, many marketing software vendors have made AI a central focus, integrating features into content tools, analytics products and campaign management systems.

Despite the attention, the research indicates that hesitancy remains widespread. Respondents cited several barriers shaping how quickly they are prepared to use AI in day-to-day marketing tasks.

AI concerns

Data security and privacy concerns were the biggest barrier to AI adoption, cited by 27% of marketers. Fears of technology dependency followed at 24%.

A lack of knowledge also appeared to play a role. Around one in five (21%) pointed to gaps in AI knowledge or prompt-engineering skills as a reason for not adopting the technology.

These concerns reflect issues raised in boardrooms and compliance teams as organisations assess how staff use external AI services and how data moves between systems. Marketing often sits at the intersection of customer data, content production and third-party platforms, which can make governance more complex than in some other departments.

At the same time, many organisations are pushing for efficiency gains in campaign execution and reporting, increasing interest in automation and AI-based assistance. This can create tension between experimentation and risk management, particularly where brand reputation and customer trust are at stake.

Reported benefits

Among marketers who already use AI, respondents reported operational benefits. Almost a third (30%) said AI improved time efficiency, while 25% said it increased productivity. A further 21% said it saved them money.

The results also suggest optimism about AI's longer-term impact. More than half of marketers (55%) believe AI will have a positive effect on the marketing sector, and just over half (52%) expect it to improve their day-to-day work.

The mixed picture shows how AI adoption varies across teams and organisations. Some marketers appear to be moving quickly, while others hold back due to risk concerns, skills gaps, or uncertainty about how AI fits into established workflows.

In many businesses, marketing leaders are expected to balance experimentation with controls such as training, approval processes and restrictions on the types of data that can be used with AI tools. For a significant minority, the survey suggests these questions are still unresolved.

Data quality

GWI linked part of the confidence gap to the quality of data used in AI tools and marketing decision-making. It positions its work around human insights and consumer understanding, arguing that trust in technology depends on whether underlying information reflects real-world behaviour.

Birthe Emmerich, CMO at GWI, linked the findings to trust in the inputs that drive AI outputs.

"What strikes me about these findings is that the confidence gap is as much a data problem as it is a technology problem. Marketers can't move fast with tools they don't trust, and they can't trust tools built on data that doesn't reflect how people actually think and behave. AI amplifies whatever insight sits beneath it - so if that foundation is shallow or stale, speed becomes a liability. Getting it right isn't about adopting fastest, it's about combining technology with a genuinely human understanding of your audience," said Birthe Emmerich, CMO, GWI.

Emmerich is available to discuss the confidence gap and how improving data quality could support AI adoption in marketing teams.