Sitecore & Microsoft launch AI lab to boost marketers' strategy

Sitecore has announced the launch of an AI Innovation Lab for the marketing technology industry in collaboration with Microsoft.

The Sitecore AI Innovation Lab has been established to give marketing leaders a structured environment in which to rapidly explore and prototype AI-driven solutions, leveraging Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Services.

The initiative is designed to address key challenges faced by marketers, including the desire for more tangible returns on AI investments, the need to avoid resource-intensive experiments without proof of value, and the struggle to allocate time for integrating AI into marketing strategies.

According to findings cited from Sitecore's recent Websites 2025 Report, a significant majority of marketing executives are now prioritising AI, with 97% indicating its importance. Despite this, teams reportedly spend as much as 85% of their time on content and operational tasks rather than strategic work, highlighting an area where AI integration could yield operational efficiencies.

The AI Innovation Lab has been structured as a customer-centric programme focused on practical AI applications in marketing. It allows participating marketers to work directly with experts from both Sitecore and Microsoft, using a collaborative and agile approach to test solutions tailored to their business challenges.

The programme is designed to minimise risk and reduce the time commitment required for exploration and prototyping, with outcomes that either validate an AI approach or generate insights to inform future strategy.

Key aspects of the Lab include accelerated AI adoption for marketing, access to expert guidance, and integrating successful innovations into Sitecore's digital experience platform (DXP). This approach aims to enhance and future-proof the platform in line with evolving customer and market expectations.

Dave O'Flanagan, Chief Executive Officer of Sitecore, commented on the launch: "The Sitecore AI Innovation Lab marks a significant milestone in our commitment to empowering marketers with cutting-edge AI solutions. By collaborating closely with Microsoft, we are providing a best-in-class, unique opportunity for marketers to innovate and transform their content operations, as well as the experiences they can deliver to their customers.

"The Lab underscores our dedication to driving digital experience innovation and helping our customers achieve their objectives. We are excited to see the groundbreaking solutions and best practices that will emerge from this effort."

"Microsoft is proud to collaborate with Sitecore on this groundbreaking initiative that empowers marketing leaders to harness the full potential of AI. By providing access to expert guidance, we are enabling marketers to innovate rapidly and transform their content operations,"

"The Sitecore AI Innovation Lab offers a collaborative environment that makes it easier for marketing leaders to explore and prototype AI-driven solutions with minimal risk. This partnership highlights our unwavering dedication to driving digital transformation and helping businesses thrive in a digital-first world." Jason Graefe, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, WW ISVS and Digital Natives, said. 

Meanwhile, Mo Cherif, Vice President, AI and Innovation at Sitecore, stated "Sitecore is at the forefront of digital experience, and launching the first AI Innovation Lab for marketers is exciting and underscores our commitment to marketer-first AI. For those eager to leverage AI but unsure where to start, our lab offers a fail-fast, goal-oriented experience. Successful AI solutions mean significant time and effort savings – a direct boost to productivity and the bottom line for customers."

The AI Innovation Lab is open exclusively to existing Sitecore customers for participation. Sitecore reports that AI-driven features developed in the lab will be integrated into its DXP, supporting marketers with tools to align brand identity, drive customer engagement, and deliver tailored digital experiences.

Sitecore has recently rolled out more than 250 new enhancements for its composable DXP. Its embedded, brand-aware AI capabilities, under the name Sitecore Stream, are designed to support marketers in expediting the creation and delivery of personalised digital content across multiple channels.

The collaboration between Sitecore and Microsoft through this Lab places an emphasis on co-building, testing, and deploying AI solutions in a format designed to balance innovation with reduced risk and operational demands for participating brands.