Executives are all-in on AI. Their marketing teams? Not so much. Here's what's really holding adoption back. The Gist AI mandates are outpacing real adoption. Executives want AI embedded across marketing, but many teams still see it as optional or disconnected from daily work. Data confusion and unclear rules are slowing progress. Marketers need stronger data literacy and clearer boundaries for where AI helps versus where human judgment leads. Managers will decide whether AI sticks. Adoption becomes real when middle managers tie AI to workflows, KPIs and measurable campaign outcomes. Marketing leaders are under increasing pressure to incorporate AI into their teams' workflows. But in many organizations, that pressure is translating into mandates, not meaningful adoption. As a result, AI is showing up everywhere from campaign strategy and audience targeting to forecasting and content development. The goal it may seem is to position AI as the newest "teammate" on the marketing staff.…