CMOs Prioritize AI But Lack Infrastructure to Deliver
Seventy percent of chief marketing officers say artificial intelligence is a key goal for 2026, but only 30% believe their organizations have the infrastructure to achieve it, according to Gartner's annual CMO Spend Survey.
The gap between ambition and readiness reveals a broader resource problem. Fifty-six percent of CMOs say they lack the budget needed to execute their 2026 strategy, and 54% report insufficient resources on staff.
Marketing budgets have remained flat year-over-year. Organizations allocated 7.8% of company revenue to marketing in 2026, compared to 7.7% in 2025. Within those budgets, AI commands 15.3% on average-but companies with mature AI programs dedicate 21.3%.
Those better-equipped organizations also see financial returns. Companies with optimized AI programs receive an average of 8.9% of company revenue for marketing, versus the baseline 7.8%.
The Infrastructure Problem
Ewan McIntyre, vice president analyst at Gartner, said CMOs recognize AI's potential but most marketing organizations aren't structured to capture it. "The risk is that CMOs invest in AI tools faster than they build the data foundations, processes, governance and talent required to scale them," he said.
This mismatch creates a vulnerability. Despite widespread belief that AI will change their jobs, only 32% of marketers think they need to update their skills.
The vendor landscape itself is unstable. Gartner predicts that half of agencies' proprietary AI platforms will be obsolete by 2029.
Survey Details
Gartner surveyed 401 CMOs and marketing professionals in North America, Europe, and the U.K. between January and March 2026. The majority work for organizations with annual revenue exceeding $1 billion.
For marketing professionals looking to close the gap between strategy and execution, AI Learning Path for CMOs offers structured guidance on building the data foundations and governance structures that Gartner identifies as critical. Additional resources on AI for Marketing cover implementation strategies for the technology investments most CMOs are already making.
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