CMOs Boost AI Spending Within Flat Budgets, But Most Teams Aren't Ready
Marketing leaders are carving out budget for AI tools and data-driven programs even as overall marketing budgets stay flat, according to new research from Gartner. The shift signals that AI has become a top priority for chief marketing officers-but most marketing organizations lack the skills and infrastructure to use these investments effectively.
Gartner identifies 2026 as a critical year for AI adoption in marketing. The research underscores a widening gap between how much CMOs want to invest in AI and their teams' readiness to execute on those plans.
The Readiness Problem
CMOs are reallocating existing budgets to fund AI initiatives rather than requesting larger overall budgets. That constraint forces hard choices about which AI projects move forward and which are delayed.
The readiness gap creates opportunity for advisory firms like Gartner. CMOs under pressure to justify AI spending and demonstrate results will likely seek guidance on where to deploy resources and how to build the organizational capabilities needed to support new tools.
For marketing teams, the implication is clear: having an AI tool is not the same as being able to use it. Training, process changes, and staffing adjustments often lag behind technology purchases.
What This Means for Your Team
If your organization is planning AI investments, assess your current state first. Do you have people trained to manage and interpret AI outputs? Are your data systems organized well enough to feed these tools? Are workflows designed around AI capabilities or still built for manual processes?
Teams that address these questions before buying tools tend to see faster returns. Those that install technology without addressing readiness often see adoption stall.
Resources like the AI Learning Path for CMOs can help you assess where your team stands and what skills gaps matter most. The AI for Marketing collection covers practical applications across channels and functions.
The Broader Trend
This pattern-high ambition paired with execution gaps-is not unique to marketing. It reflects how enterprises across industries are approaching AI adoption: committing budget and attention without always having the internal capability to follow through.
For CMOs, that means 2026 will likely be defined less by which AI tools you buy and more by how well your team can integrate those tools into existing workflows and decision-making processes.
Your membership also unlocks:
