Dentsu CMOs survey Agents of Reinvention: Marketing at the Intersection of AI and Human IngenuityAlmost every marketer now uses artificial intelligence in their work, yet most CMOs remain divided on its role in marketing. A new Dentsu CMO report shows that while more than 30 per cent of CMOs rely on AI daily, 87 per cent believe the future of marketing will demand greater creativity, empathy and cultural understanding – not less. The report highlights the conflicting opinions of senior marketers: many see AI as an enabler of speed and scale, but just as many worry it risks creating a “sea of sameness”.
The global survey, Agents of Reinvention: Marketing at the Intersection of AI and Human Ingenuity, gathered responses from more than 1,950 CMOs across 14 markets. It finds near-universal adoption of AI, but also a growing recognition of the limits of automation. More than 78 per cent of CMOs believe generative AI will never replace human imagination, showcasing a sharp rise of 13 percentage points from 2024.
That divide between efficiency and originality is central to the findings. While 90 per cent of marketers want to combine agile production with data to reach the right customer at the right time, 76 per cent admit that producing content quickly enough remains a barrier to personalisation goals. According to the report, algorithms also add to the unease with 71 per cent of CMOs saying that “if I don’t win with the algorithm, I will be invisible”, while 79 per cent fear that over-optimisation risks draining distinctiveness.
This concern is especially relevant in MENA, where audiences skew young, digital and culture-driven. Ziad Ghorayeb, CEO of Dentsu Creative MENA, said, “In the MENA region, the pace of AI adoption is accelerating across industries, from e-commerce to entertainment to finance, yet the challenge for brands here is not just in finding efficiencies, it’s in building distinctiveness. Our audiences are young, connected and deeply rooted in culture. Winning in this region means more than winning the algorithm; it requires brands to connect with cultural truths and human stories that resonate with people’s daily lives.”
This push for cultural relevance is reflected in the CMO’s attitudes to content. Nine in ten CMOs say social and influencer content drives more engagement than traditional advertising, and 91 per cent agree that brands today are built through creators, platforms and culture-makers, displaying an increase of 14 points since 2024. However, on the flip side, 82 per cent of CMOs worry about losing too much control when leaning on influencers.
Investment patterns also reflect the balancing act. More than 70 per cent of marketers plan to allocate at least a fifth of their budgets to innovation, signalling a strong appetite for experimentation. Abbey Klaassen, Global Brand President at Dentsu Creative, said clients increasingly want “seamless integration of data, AI-enabled production and their existing MarTech stack” to enable real-time creativity.
When it comes to the future of AI in marketing, according to the report, 89 per cent of CMOs expect “agentic AI” systems that can act on behalf of users, from booking trips to managing shopping baskets to reshape their businesses. But the same CMOs share believe trust, taste and brand love will become more important, not less. As Yasu Sasaki, Global Chief Creative Officer at Dentsu, put it: “AI is exceptionally good at prediction, but creativity by its very nature is unpredictable. What is most exciting is when AI and human creativity come together to unlock new possibilities.”
