AI Adoption Soars in Marketing as 25% of Leaders Use It to Replace Human Roles

Marketing Leaders Confirm Widespread AI Adoption; 25% Use AI to Replace Human Roles

Basis Technologies recently released its annual AI survey, highlighting how artificial intelligence is becoming a core part of marketing and advertising work. According to the survey, every marketing leader reports that their teams have embraced AI tools, with a quarter already using AI to replace human employees or planning to do so in the near future.

The survey gathered insights from 140 professionals across agencies, brands, and publishers in August 2025. The full report, AI and the Future of Marketing 2025, offers a comprehensive overview of AI’s role in advertising today.

AI’s Growing Role in Marketing Tasks

• 95% of marketing professionals use generative or agentic AI tools at least monthly; one-third use them daily.
• Top AI applications include ideation/brainstorming and research, cited by over 76% of respondents.
• ChatGPT leads as the most popular AI tool, used by 88% of marketers, far ahead of other platforms.
• More than 65% of organizations now pay for premium AI tools, up from 44% in 2024.

These figures indicate AI’s deep integration into marketing workflows, especially in content creation and data analysis.

Concerns and Risks Around AI

• 63% of respondents worry about AI’s environmental impact due to energy consumption.
• Nearly 86% express concerns over copyright issues and legal liabilities tied to generative AI.
• 70% believe AI development and use require regulation to manage risks effectively.
• All respondents see generative AI as a risk for brand safety and misinformation, with 40% rating this risk as significant.

These concerns highlight the need for careful management of AI tools to protect brand reputation and comply with legal standards.

Impact on Jobs and Efficiency

• Over 73% feel AI has made them moderately or significantly more efficient in the past year, up from 54% in 2024.
• 59% anticipate substantial job losses in digital marketing within 3 to 5 years due to AI—an increase from 41% last year.
• Despite this, 66% believe their own jobs are unlikely to be replaced by AI in that timeframe.
• Only 20% report that their organizations currently employ AI agents to perform marketing or advertising tasks.
• 19% of marketers are deprioritizing SEO because of AI’s influence on search engines.

AI is clearly boosting productivity but also raising concerns about workforce changes and role shifts.

Looking Ahead

AI adoption in marketing is accelerating, especially for tasks like idea generation and analysis. While benefits are clear, marketers remain cautious about the broader implications such as misinformation and job displacement.

Katie McAdams, Chief Marketing Officer at Basis Technologies, emphasized the ongoing opportunity AI presents. “AI's advantages currently outweigh the concerns across advertising and marketing. As it embeds further into content creation, writing, and data analysis, new growth opportunities will continue to emerge,” she said.

About Basis Technologies

Basis Technologies offers a comprehensive advertising automation platform designed to streamline workflows for agencies and brands. Their platform integrates planning, operations, reporting, and financial reconciliation across programmatic, publisher-direct, search, and social channels. By automating key processes, Basis helps marketing teams improve efficiency and drive better financial outcomes.

Learn more at Basis Technologies.