Regardless of your stance on AI, experiences abound with figures displaying that almost all organizations and departments — particularly advertising and marketing — haven’t solely adopted the expertise however proceed to make use of it.
Brafton’s second annual State of AI in Advertising and marketing Groups report is amongst those who present that actuality. In our case, 81% of 163 surveyed entrepreneurs mentioned “Sure” to utilizing AI — 62% of whom indicated they considerably elevated their use over the earlier 12 months.
However what about that remaining 19 %? That’s about 30 of us in our pattern who’re holding out on AI. All issues thought of, that seems like a comparatively massive group when, irrespective of the place you flip, it appears as if AI has encroached on every little thing, in every single place.
Let’s have a look at who these entrepreneurs are, the explanations for his or her resistance, and the way they actually really feel about the way forward for AI and our trade. Some responses could shock you.
The Firmographics: Who Isn’t Utilizing AI?
A majority of these for whom AI nonetheless eludes, willfully or not, by no means started to make use of it within the first place.
Of the 30 whole respondents who mentioned they didn’t use AI in 2025, 63% say they’ve by no means used it in any respect, whereas 17% indicated that, whereas they may have used AI beforehand, they selected to not in 2025.
AI Non-Customers by Trade
Industries most represented within the former class (have by no means used AI) are:
- Nonprofit & social providers: 16.27%
- Software program & SaaS: 13.33%
- Well being & wellness: 10%
- E-commerce, retail & distribution: 10%
To see nonprofit and social providers on the high isn’t a surprise. Humanity is the core of companies working in these sectors, and AI would solely serve to get in the way in which of that.
Right here’s what one respondent working within the trade needed to say:
“AI ‘slop’ is getting a reasonably unfavorable response from the voluntary and group sector — particularly one which works fairly carefully with artists, poets and writers. With AI frequently plagiarising work, and together with huge quantities of data that it has taken with out permission, it turns into fairly tough to make use of AI in a approach that’s moral.”
Our pattern for the latter class (have used AI beforehand, however not in 2025) is way smaller, however contains entrepreneurs working in:
- Ecommerce, retail & distribution.
- Well being & wellness.
- Actual property.
- Software program & SaaS.
- Expertise & IT.
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AI Non-Customers by Firm Dimension
In our pattern, massive companies with between 51–500 workers have been the most probably to not actively be utilizing AI:
- Small enterprise (1–20 workers): 30%
- Medium enterprise (21–50 workers): 20%
- Massive enterprise (51–500 workers): 40%
- Enterprise (501+ workers): 10%
With out any information, it’s tempting to imagine that AI resistance is concentrated amongst smaller organizations with fewer assets. However these figures counsel in any other case.
Greater than half of AI non-users work at massive corporations with 51–500 workers. Whereas our pattern is comparatively small, it means that selecting to not undertake AI isn’t completely a useful resource downside. In lots of circumstances, it seems to be a deliberate organizational choice reasonably than merely a scarcity of funds or technical functionality.
AI Non-Customers by Area
Whereas North America accounts for many AI non-users in our survey, that’s largely reflective of our general respondent base:
- North America: 64.52%
- Asia Pacific: 12.90%
- United Kingdom: 12.90%
Why Some Firms Aren’t Utilizing AI
The explanations that some entrepreneurs and organizations are turning away from AI are fairly various, and for some, even just a little not sure. 17% of respondents who informed us they aren’t utilizing AI weren’t fairly certain why. Maybe they by no means noticed the tech’s potential or worth for his or her workflows, don’t care to study a brand new expertise, or just simply don’t know why their corporations haven’t adopted it.
Most respondents, nevertheless, had clear the explanation why AI wasn’t part of their martech stacks:
- Ethical, moral and/or environmental considerations: 48%
- Insecurity within the high quality of AI output: 35%
- Information privateness considerations: 30%
- Present AI instruments don’t meet our wants: 22%
- Uncertain: 17%
- Lack of funds for AI instruments: 13%
- Lack of coaching/experience in AI techniques: 13%
The highest 4 considerations are, in some sense, willful acts; kind of intentional. These entrepreneurs and organizations are deliberately selecting to not use AI — whether or not due to ethical and environmental considerations, low confidence, information privateness dangers or poor strategic match.
There’s a distinction between these considerations and those entrepreneurs had in final 12 months’s white paper. Thoughts you, there’s additionally a large hole in pattern measurement for this particular query between the 2 experiences. Final 12 months, simply 5 respondents selected to inform us why they weren’t utilizing AI, in comparison with 30 right here.
Nonetheless, the comparability supplies an attention-grabbing view of how entrepreneurs’ considerations have modified over the course of a 12 months.
Final time, information privateness considerations topped the checklist, and power use/environmental impression ranked 4th. However this time, entrepreneurs’ private values and concern for the surroundings shot as much as No. 1. Contemplating the fast improvement of sprawling new information facilities, I perceive why concern has grown right here.
Do You Have Plans To Undertake AI This 12 months (2026)?
We additionally requested entrepreneurs whose organizations haven’t carried out AI but in the event that they plan to in 2026. Right here’s what we heard:
- Sure: 23%
- No: 33%
- Uncertain: 43%
This bit of information is attention-grabbing. Sure, one-third of entrepreneurs don’t have any plans to undertake AI this 12 months, which appears fairly resolute. However almost half stay undecided.
That means many organizations might not be firmly against AI and will merely be ready for higher instruments or governance, or solutions round ethics, privateness or return on funding.
After all, it might even be true that these of us merely don’t have perception into what the decision-makers at their corporations plan to do on the organizational degree.
I’m curious to see how these figures may change in our deliberate third version of this report.
Entrepreneurs Who Aren’t Utilizing AI: Their Takes on the Tech & the Future
Entrepreneurs on either side of the fence — these presently utilizing AI vs. not utilizing AI — have combined emotions about its future.
Some entrepreneurs who’re actively utilizing AI, for instance, don’t be ok with it, whereas others who aren’t utilizing it are nonetheless optimistic in regards to the tech and its position in our work and lives. The other is true as effectively, in fact: There are of us actively utilizing AI who be ok with it and its future, and people who usually are not utilizing AI and are extra pessimistic.
However let’s deal with those that indicated that they’re not actively utilizing AI. Listed here are a few of these respondents’ views and outlooks.
On AI reliability and desirability:
“I don’t suppose generative and agentic AI instruments will develop into rather more dependable or fascinating than they presently are. There’s a ceiling of AI adoption in advertising and marketing, and we’re about there already.”
On AI inevitability:
“I’m not captivated with it within the slightest. We live in a world the place there isn’t a approach round AI utilization, however it’s crucial we don’t substitute the human parts of artwork, media, and communication with synthetic intelligence.”
Accepting AI’s inevitability doesn’t all the time translate into enthusiasm. A number of respondents acknowledged AI is right here to remain whereas concurrently advocating for cautious limits on the place, and whether or not, we must always use it.
On usefulness and private alternative:
“In all probability is usually a great tool to reinforce human advertising and marketing and undoubtedly will develop into more and more used, however by no means by my agency.”
On inevitability and cautious use:
“It’s right here and never going away. I wish to use it cautiously.”
On desire:
“I can see how it may be useful, however I desire to see human-generated content material. I scroll previous all AI in each scenario.”
That is maybe one of many extra private responses we obtained. Reasonably than objecting to AI on precept, this respondent merely prefers human-created work and acts on that desire as a client.
On environmentalism and creativity:
“Grim. I believe that what’s gained in effectivity is just not shut to value it for what we’re dropping environmentally and it’s creatively bankrupt.”
For some entrepreneurs, the controversy extends far past productiveness. Issues round creativity, environmental impression and the worth of human work proceed to outweigh any effectivity beneficial properties AI may supply.
On priorities and humanity:
“It signifies that we worth productiveness over all different issues — over human expression, creation, and connection. I detest it.”
Available on the market and AI’s destiny:
“It’s saturating the market, and can ultimately weed out.”
On AI’s potential:
“Enormous potential.”
Fairly easy; though this marketer isn’t utilizing AI, they appear enthusiastic about its potential future capabilities.
On advantages and content material integrity:
“I believe it may be helpful to get a place to begin for designs and messaging however the human component nonetheless must be maintained for accuracy and high quality assurance.”
These quotes assist illustrate the truth of entrepreneurs’ various opinions. AI non-users aren’t a monolith. Some are optimistic, some are skeptical and a few are conflicted. Many acknowledge AI’s potential whereas remaining cautious about its impression on creativity, high quality or ethics. Their views add an vital layer of nuance to an trade dialog that’s generally framed as adoption versus resistance.
Ultimate Ideas
It’s straightforward to have a look at an 81% adoption fee and conclude that AI has develop into a settled query in advertising and marketing. I imply, most all different exterior indicators actually make it really feel that approach. However our survey suggests in any other case.
Whereas most entrepreneurs are embracing AI in some capability, the remaining 19% remind us that adoption isn’t merely a matter of maintaining with expertise. For a lot of organizations, the choice is rooted in belief, privateness, inventive philosophy or strategic match.
What’s maybe most putting is that many non-users don’t deny AI’s capabilities and even its inevitability. As a substitute, they’re wrestling with what widespread adoption means for his or her organizations, their industries and the folks behind the work.
Whether or not these considerations fade or intensify over the approaching years stays to be seen. However understanding why some entrepreneurs are nonetheless selecting to not use AI supplies beneficial context for an trade that’s typically portrayed as shifting in just one course.
Take a look at our different blogs that dive deeper into different sections of our newest report:
