The future of AI in marketing:
Emerging trends in investment and adoption

We asked business leaders and marketing practitioners about their experiences experimenting with AI. Here’s what we found.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the hottest topic in marketing today. Advancements in generative and other multi-purpose AI tools are reshaping approaches to everything from content creation to customer experiences. However, amid all this innovation, it’s becoming increasingly hard to separate what’s real and what’s hype.

That’s where we come in. We surveyed business leaders and practitioners to learn more about the future of AI in marketing. Keep reading to find out what they’re doing, where they’re seeing success and how they're preparing for a new era of digital transformation.

AI Investment
|
Marketing Applications
|
Adoption Challenges 
|
Benefits of AI in Marketing

The AI revolution isn’t on its way.
It’s here.

9 in 10

Business leaders anticipate increased investment in AI and machine learning (ML) technology for marketing within the next three years.

93%

agree increased investment in AI and ML will be essential for scaling customer care functions in the next three years.

97%

agree increased investment in AI and ML will enhance companies' ability to analyze social media data and insights.

The AI revolution isn’t on its way.
It’s here.

The AI revolution isn’t on its way.
It’s here.

9 in 10

Business leaders anticipate increased investment in AI and machine learning (ML) technology for marketing within the next three years.

93%

agree increased investment in AI and ML will be essential for scaling customer care functions in the next three years.

97%

agree increased investment in AI and ML will enhance companies' ability to analyze social media data and insights.

0%

71%
 of marketers have started incorporating AI and ML tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E 2, etc.) into their workflows .

0%

60%
 of marketers are currently researching current use cases for AI and ML tools.

0%

49%
 of marketers are conducting AI/ML-related training sessions for internal audiences.

0%

55%
 of marketers who have not used AI/ML tools anticipate testing them within the next six months. 

82% of marketers who have integrated AI and ML tools into their workflow have already achieved positive results.

Q2 2023 Sprout Pulse Survey

Where business leaders expect AI to have the most impact

To understand the future of AI in marketing, you need to understand the present. Click the cards below to find out which AI applications leaders are currently excited about.

Behavioral segmentation

Behavioral segmentation

AI-powered algorithms categorize customers into specific groups based on similarities by analyzing previous behavior patterns, allowing marketers to go beyond traditional demographic segmentation. This approach improves relevance by ensuring that the right message reaches the right person at the right time.

Predictive analytics

Predictive analytics

Who needs a crystal ball when you have ever-expanding datasets? 45% of leaders see value in harnessing AI/ML technology to build predictive models from customer data, allowing them to forecast future behavior. Through predictive analytics, businesses can seize opportunities proactively by optimizing the customer experience at every touchpoint.

Dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing—the practice of adjusting the prices of a product or service based on market conditions—has become a common tactic for businesses across industries. These pricing variations are made possible through dynamic algorithms that leverage predictive analytics to forecast market trends and make real-time pricing updates.

Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis

Keeping your finger on the pulse of your brand perception is critical to developing effective messaging. AI-powered sentiment analysis tools make sense of data from various sources—social media comments and videos, reviews, online publications and more—so marketers can better understand their audience.

39%
of business leaders report that a major challenge in adopting AI is the lack of training and development opportunities for business leaders to effectively implement AI and ML.

Troubleshooting common AI adoption challenges

AI tools are precisely that—tools. To fully harness their benefits, your entire team needs to know how to use them. That said, the road to adoption is not without challenges. Click the hurdles listed below for tips on how to overcome them.

Insufficient executive training

There are AI power users in your midst—you just have to find them. Start by conducting a survey to gather insights into how your colleagues use AI in their day-to-day work. Additionally, you can reach out to peer groups and industry communities to tap expertise from leaders at other organizations. With territory as new and evolving as AI, internal and external resources are crucial for staying informed.

Limited organizational experience

Lack of understanding among key business leaders

37%
of business leaders say limited organization experience with AI and ML technology is a hurdle toward team-wide adoption.

Troubleshooting common AI adoption challenges

AI tools are precisely that—tools. To fully harness their benefits, your entire team needs to know how to use them. That said, the road to adoption is not without challenges. Click the hurdles listed below for tips on how to overcome them.

Insufficient executive training

Limited organizational experience

Work with your internal communications team to develop and distribute a set of beginner-friendly AI prompts, aimed at inspiring greater experimentation with these tools across your organization. You can even ghostwrite these on behalf of an internal subject matter expert in technology or IT for wider reach.

Lack of understanding among key business leaders

36%
of business leaders cite a lack of understanding among business leaders about how AI and ML work.

Troubleshooting common AI adoption challenges

AI tools are precisely that—tools. To fully harness their benefits, your entire team needs to know how to use them. That said, the road to adoption is not without challenges. Click the hurdles listed below for tips on how to overcome them.

Insufficient executive training

Limited organizational experience

Lack of understanding among key business leaders

AI adoption at the leadership level starts with getting everyone on the same page. Use executive communications training as an opportunity to set expectations around how your company thinks and talks about AI from the top down. 

What will marketers achieve with AI?

The future of AI in marketing is bright. Emerging technologies are revolutionizing outdated processes, allowing your team to connect with audiences more efficiently and intentionally. Get more insights into how leaders anticipate using AI and social data to elevate their work in The 2023 State of Social Media Report.

Download the report todayOpens in a new window.

Improved productivity

61% of marketers who have experimented with AI cite improved productivity as an immediate benefit.

More accuracy

49% of marketers who have experimented with AI cite higher accuracy in content targeting as an immediate.

Faster content curation

47% of marketers who have experimented with AI cite expedited content curation processes as an immediate.

Increased output

37% of marketers who have experimented with AI cite an increase in content production volume as an immediate benefit.

About the data

Pulse Survey. 255 social marketers were recruited by Cint via online survey between March 15-21, 2023 for the Q2 2023 Sprout Social Pulse Survey. Participants were those responsible for their brand’s social strategy. Titles held by participants include Manager or Sr. Manager (58%), Director or Sr. Director (24%), Vice President (7%) or C-level Executive (12%). Relationships between variables collected were analyzed using parametric statistics for statistical significance.


The 2023 State of Social Media. 778 US and UK social media marketing, customer care and communications professionals were recruited by the Harris Poll on behalf of Sprout Social between March 13-27, 2023. Titles held by participants include Manager or Sr. Manager (16%), Director or Sr. Director (19%), Vice President (40%), C-level Executive (19%) or Owner/President (6%). Relationships between variables collected were analyzed using parametric statistics for statistical significance.

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