In India, 79% of marketers plan to increase the use of AI in their roles over the next 12 months, and most are already using AI tools in some or all of their projects. A report titled ‘AI Confidence Curve’ published by programmatic media company MiQ found that although 72% plan to apply AI in more ways over the next 12 months, only 46% feel confident that it will be successful.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing global advertising, but marketers are still unsure how best to leverage it.
The report highlights what the company describes as a widening “trust gap,” with AI adoption outpacing readiness by 27 percentage points.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Jordan Bitterman, chief marketing officer at MiQ, said: “We find that most marketers are stuck in the early stages of the trust curve. We’re all at the beginning of the journey to finally move up the curve. Usage is now 27 percentage points above readiness, and we see this purely as an opportunity, and industry leaders need to leverage tools and training to close the gap.”
According to the report, 66% of marketers globally are already using AI in most or all projects, with top uses including content creation (40%), marketing automation (39%), and social media management (38%). India is seeing greater adoption of AI in social media management, visual design, and content creation, with tools like Google’s P-MAX (69%) and Canva (66%) leading the way in usage.
Despite enthusiasm, challenges persist. 38% of marketers cited lack of training, 42% cited limitations in data sharing, and 44% said they struggle to effectively measure results. In India, 69% said lack of expertise was the biggest barrier to AI adoption, and 54% said the role of AI in marketing remains poorly understood.
Varun Mohan, Chief Commercial Officer, MiQ India, said, “AI tools will play a huge role as a force multiplier in the future of marketing. And teams that prioritize early adoption and upskilling of AI will be well ahead of the curve. This is a competitive advantage that will define the next phase of data-driven marketing transformation in India.”
The report also found that Indian marketers lead the world in targeting based on consumer mindset and behavior, with 45% planning campaigns around browsing and shopping behavior, the highest of any market. They also highlighted a preference for YouTube (80%), social media (61%) and digital video (58%), highlighting the rapid evolution of multichannel digital advertising in the country.
