While most CMOs claim that AI is a priority for their organization, many also say that their organizational infrastructure and/or budget is insufficient to support the desired level of AI technology. 

Gartner’s CMO Spend Survey, performed earlier this year, found:

• 56% of CMOs say their 2026 budget is insufficient to meet their strategic goals
• 54% say they lack the required resources
• An average of 15.3% of marketing budgets are allocated to AI, but the organizations with better infrastructure in place allocate 21.3%.
• Marketing budgets have remained flat over the past couple of years, with only a 0.1% increase of company revenues going to marketing in 2026 from 2025.
• Organizations that have elevated AI strategies allocate an average of 8.9% of revenues to marketing.
• Gartner’s prediction is that half of current AI branded platforms will be obsolete by the end of this decade.

Gartner says that while CMOs recognize the potential uses of AI for growth and efficiency, their organizational infrastructure is often not currently sufficient to incorporate AI’s value. There is a risk in bringing in AI tools before providing adequate infrastructure to support it.

The Gartner survey included just over 400 CMOs and other marketing professionals from North America, the UK, and Europe, most of whom work for organizations with >$1 billion in annual revenue.