Build a Marketing Team That’s Ready for Agentic AI

AI is changing how marketing works. CMOs must rethink talent, workflows and trust to lead the shift. 

You’ve adopted AI in marketing. Now what?

Marketing is leading the enterprise in AI adoption. CMOs are piloting GenAI for search, advertising, content creation and personalization. These efforts are delivering speed and efficiency — but not the cost savings or growth many expected.

Why? Because AI isn’t just a tool. It’s becoming an actor — one that makes decisions, manages workflows and drives outcomes. That shift demands a new kind of marketing team.

Talk to Gartner About Building an AI-Enabled Marketing Team

Discover how Gartner helps CMOs lead with agentic AI — from trust governance to talent strategy — and unlock real business value through smarter marketing operations.

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Agentic AI is the turning point

Agentic AI refers to autonomous or semi-autonomous software entities that perceive, decide and act. Gartner calls this the move from AI as a tool to AI as an actor.

This shift opens up new use cases in budgeting, resource management, content operations, analytics and talent optimization. But it also requires CMOs to rethink how their teams work — and what skills they need to thrive.

Trust is the first barrier

Gartner finds nearly half of employees and consumers don’t believe humans will use AI responsibly. That skepticism can stall adoption or lead to misuse. Marketing, as the steward of the brand, must lead with governance:

  • Codify goals and standards for AI use

  • Establish expectations for outputs

  • Track how AI is making decisions

These steps build transparency and protect the organization from reputation and legal risk.

Don’t let reasoning skills fade

As AI takes on more complex tasks, marketers must still assess and validate its inputs and outputs. Without intentional effort, Gartner warns of a creeping skills gap: Teams risk losing the critical thinking that once defined their value.

CMOs must embed reasoning into daily work: strategic, scientific and systems thinking. That means mentoring, job rotation and goal-setting that keeps human intelligence sharp. In an AI-enabled future, human judgement will be the differentiator.

Experimentation is your edge

AI is evolving fast. What works today may be obsolete tomorrow. CMOs need to test, learn and adapt…continously.

Gartner recommends building a portfolio of AI use cases that serve diverse business goals. Don’t just chase quick wins. Invest in long-term pilots and dedicate teams to manage phased experimentation. The more you learn now, the faster you’ll scale what works and stay ahead of disruption.

FAQs on AI-Enabled Marketing

What is agentic AI, and why does it matter for CMOs?

Agentic AI refers to autonomous or semi-autonomous software entities that perceive, decide and act. It shifts AI from a tool to a teammate — and requires new governance, workflows and talent strategies.

Why hasn’t AI reduced marketing costs yet?

Most GenAI use cases focus on efficiency, not on cutting media spend or headcount. Gartner research shows deeper gains come from embedding AI into core operations and decision-making.

How can CMOs build trust in AI?

By codifying goals, setting standards and tracking AI’s impact. Gartner’s frameworks help CMOs establish trust governance that supports responsible AI use and protects brand reputation.

What’s the risk of losing reasoning skills?

Without intentional effort, marketers may rely too heavily on AI and lose the strategic thinking that drives innovation. Gartner recommends embedding reasoning into workflows and supporting continuous learning.

Drive stronger performance on your mission-critical priorities.