Study reveals Agentic AI divide: some marketers are scaling—and others are stalling

Agentic AI is reshaping marketing-and not everyone is keeping up says a new study from SAS and Coleman Parkes Marketers and AI: Navigating New Depths. While just over half (51%) of marketing decision-makers say their organizations plan to invest in Agentic AI within the next year, only 21% are actively testing it in live environments. The result? A widening gap between those who are scaling Agentic AI and seeing ROI and those still watching from the sidelines.1 in 5 marketers are testing/ experimenting with Agentic AI

Agentic AI goes beyond content generation. It enables autonomous and active decision-making, continuous learning, and real-time optimization. But it doesn't happen by accident. A strong generative AI (GenAI) foundation-with mature data pipelines, ROI proof points, and a strategic framework-is what makes scaled aided autonomy possible.

The Three Populations of Agentic AI
Marketers now fall into three distinct maturity groups: Observers, Planners, and Adopters. Adopters are already using agentic AI, Planners intend to within the next year, and Observers intend to within the next two years. While most are still planning or piloting, Adopters are already scaling Agentic systems-and the performance gap is growing fast.

• 63% of Adopters are implementing enterprise-wide AI strategies, compared to just 25% of Observers.
• 42% of Adopters use AI extensively across campaign channels for real-time decision-making-versus just 1% of Observers.
• 3 in 4 Adopters say they're using AI to its full potential. Among Observers? Just 7%.

The difference isn't just in deployment-it's in mindset. Only 3% of Observers report a strong understanding of Agentic AI, compared to 61% of Adopters. Familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence fuels innovation.

"Observers may be running out of time," said Mike Blanchard, Vice President, Marketing Technology and Personalization Solutions at SAS. "While they are still considering Agentic AI current adopters have moved beyond the passive capabilities of Generative AI to Agentic AI and are seeing real productivity and efficiency gains, cost savings, and an overall better customer experience being delivered. And they're not stopping there. Agentic AI early adopters, well versed in technology, are already incorporating quantum computing into their roadmaps, which will scale productivity and efficiency even further. In today's market - where AI adoption equals long-term competitive advantage - can any brand really afford to stand by and watch?"

What Adopters Are Doing Differently
Agentic AI Adopters are already deploying advanced use cases like continuous learning agents (47%) and performance reporting (45%).

Trust is Conditional
Despite growing adoption, trust in Agentic AI remains conditional. While 90% of marketers express some level of trust, fewer than 1 in 20 say they trust it fully. And while 79% of marketers feel somewhat confident in their organization's AI governance, very few are strongly confident-highlighting an opportunity to strengthen oversight as autonomy increases.

Quantum Enters the Chat
Agentic AI maturity isn't just about what marketers are doing today-it's also about how they're preparing for what's next. And for many Adopters, that future includes Quantum Computing.

Half (50%) of Agentic AI Adopters have already incorporated quantum into their digital or innovation roadmaps-compared to just 25% of Observers. This signals a clear shift from passive monitoring to long-term planning as maturity increases. For Adopters, Agentic AI isn't a standalone initiative-it's a launchpad for broader transformation.

The report is based on a new survey of 300 organizations worldwide, ranging from SMBs to enterprises with 10,000+ employees. The respondents are marketers who work at organizations across a range of industry sectors.