Generative AI might be taking over creative suites and campaign planning decks, but the real economic upside hasn’t kicked in yet. Since 2017, the percentage of companies using AI in at least one business function jumped from 20% to 55% in 2022, and now sits at 70%. Marketers aren’t just dabbling—they’re generating entire campaigns, especially video ads, with AI tools, streamlining production across departments. Still, that momentum hasn’t convinced the buying public, who remain skeptical of what’s real in an era of algorithmically generated everything.
Big Tech isn’t waiting for a consumer consensus. Amazon, Meta, Apple, Google, and Microsoft are collectively projected to invest $340 billion in AI infrastructure by 2025—an amount bigger than Morocco’s GDP and creeping up on Belgium’s. Marketers, meanwhile, are using generative AI mainly for audience customization (45%), followed by visual tweaks, context precision, and A/B testing for promotions. Audio, tone, and emotional nuance? Still not Gen AI’s strong suit.
Despite rising adoption, U.S. consumers aren’t lining up to welcome their AI overlords. According to Gartner, 74% say AI makes it harder to spot what’s real online, and a full 59% believe the risks outweigh the benefits. Trust in AI search results is low—especially among older generations—and over half are uneasy about the environmental cost of all that AI activity humming in the background. Marketers may be scaling faster, but trust is still playing catch-up.
Read more at Digiday.