UK marketing leaders plan sharp increase in AI spending
Nearly all UK marketing leaders expect to raise their AI budgets, according to research from Canva published today. The finding reflects growing reliance on AI tools to produce more content with smaller teams, even as consumers express mixed feelings about the technology in advertising.
Ninety-eight percent of UK marketing leaders surveyed said they plan to increase AI spending. Ninety-two percent already use AI in everyday creative work. More than half described AI as a "director" within their teams, while 31% called it a "collaborator."
The practical gains are substantial. Ninety-four percent of UK marketing leaders save at least four hours a week through AI use. Twenty-eight percent save more than eight hours weekly. Sixty-three percent said AI increased the number of marketing-influenced business decisions.
Consumer trust lags behind adoption
Consumer sentiment tells a different story. Seventy-one percent of British consumers said they don't mind AI in adverts if the result is more helpful or relevant. But many said current AI-generated advertising feels hollow.
Seventy percent of UK respondents said AI-generated adverts lack soul. Sixty-four percent found them so obvious they became laughable. Eighty-two percent said they would still prefer adverts made by people, even if AI could improve them.
Concern about homogeneity is widespread. Seventy-six percent of UK consumers said future advertising will look and feel like identical AI-generated output. Among marketing leaders, 36% already see "AI slop" as a considerable challenge.
Where humans still matter
Marketing leaders identified areas where AI falls short. Empathy, emotional intelligence, brand intuition, and creative judgment remain difficult to automate. The human imperfections that make work feel original also resist automation.
Eighty percent of UK marketing leaders expect creative roles to grow over the next five years, with greater emphasis on imagination, judgment and direction rather than routine execution. They do not see AI as removing the need for creative staff.
Age shaped how consumers viewed the technology. Seventy-two percent of Gen Z and Millennial respondents said they pay more attention to the vibe of an advert than the method used to create it. Three quarters said they don't mind AI polish as long as real people are featured.
Personalisation raises red flags
Personalisation remains sensitive ground. Nearly a third of UK consumers said adverts become too personal when they seem to know what the consumer is about to buy before searching for it. Sixty-three percent said they don't want brands using AI to predict what they want.
Strong demand exists for clearer rules. More than three quarters of British consumers said they would feel more comfortable with AI-generated adverts if formal company policies governed their use.
Consumers were specific about what would build trust: data protection, disclosure of AI use, guarantees that AI is not replacing jobs, and the ability to opt out of AI-generated adverts. A large majority also wanted privacy controls to decide how personal adverts should become.
Eighty-six percent of UK consumers believe it will one day be impossible to tell whether an advert was made with AI unless the brand discloses it. Most expect that point to arrive within a few years.
The governance question
Emma Robinson, Head of B2B Marketing at Canva, said the issue for brands is not whether AI belongs in marketing but how it is managed. "AI has changed how marketing gets made, but not what makes it effective," Robinson said. "Speed and scale matter, but they don't build trust on their own."
The survey covered 1,415 marketing leaders at organisations with more than 500 employees and 3,547 consumers across seven countries. In the UK, the sample included 200 marketing leaders and 509 consumers.
For marketing professionals looking to navigate AI adoption effectively, resources on AI for Marketing and the AI Learning Path for Marketing Managers offer structured guidance on implementation and strategy.
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