Marketing leaders have invested heavily in AI training and related use-case exploration, yet still struggle to demonstrate a material impact. Productivity gains from AI remain uneven. Marketing leaders don’t lack vision for an AI future, but they don’t demonstrate a methodical approach to realizing it. Training has expanded and experimentation continues, but those efforts alone have not translated into consistent performance improvement. Without changes to how work is structured and resourced, AI adoption varies across teams and initiatives. ## Automation is where AI delivers ROI According to Gartner’s 2025 CMO Spend Survey, 36% of the marketing budget is allocated to change and transformation initiatives. Yet less than one-tenth of those funds flow to the area where AI can have its most significant impact: improving organization and operating models. More funds go to other initiatives — such as new or improved products and services, data and insight investments and agency or partner relationships.…