Dive Brief

While 70% of CMOs say AI is a key focus for 2026, only 30% feel they have the infrastructure to achieve their goals.

Published May 11, 2026

Dive Brief:

• Seventy percent of CMOs say becoming a leader in artificial intelligence is a key goal for 2026, but just 30% feel their organizations have the infrastructure necessary to do so, according to data from Gartner shared with Marketing Dive.
• Findings from the company’s “CMO Spend Survey” found 15.3% of marketing budgets on average are directed toward AI, however, organizations that are better equipped to scale the technology allocate an average of 21.3%.
• Marketing budgets have remained relatively flat, with 7.8% of company revenue going to marketing in 2026, compared to 7.7% in 2025. However, organizations with optimized AI programs tend to receive a higher share of revenue, averaging 8.9%.

Dive Insight:

While AI remains a key priority for most top marketers, many do not feel they have the resources or funding needed to scale the technology, according to recent data from Gartner. Over half, 56%, of CMOs do not think that their organizations have the budget needed to execute their 2026 strategy and 54% say they don’t have the necessary resources. With overall budgets mostly flat this year, marketers may be eyeing AI as a way to help them to do more with less. 

“CMOs recognize AI’s potential as a force multiplier for growth, efficiency and transformation, but most marketing organizations are not yet built to capture that value. The risk is that CMOs invest in AI tools faster than they build the data foundations, processes, governance and talent required to scale them,” said Ewan McIntyre, vice president analyst and chief of research in the Gartner Marketing practice, in press materials. 

The “CMO Spend Survey,” which is conducted annually, included data from a survey fielded between January and March 2026. Respondents included 401 CMOs and other marketing professionals located in North America, Europe and the U.K. The majority of respondents work for organizations with an annual revenue of over $1 billion.

Despite the impact AI is having on the marketing industry, with nearly two-thirds of marketers believing the technology will change their jobs, only 32% believe they need to update their skills, according to February Gartner findings. Additionally, Gartner predicts that half of agencies’ proprietary AI platforms will be obsolete by 2029.

• Gartner: CMOs want AI transformation, but few are upgrading their skills By Peter Adams • Feb. 23, 2026