TLDR: A new report by ISBA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) indicates a dramatic increase in the adoption and implementation of generative AI by marketers over the past year. The proportion of advertisers with live generative AI use cases has quadrupled, driven primarily by efficiency gains, though concerns regarding ethics, copyright, and workforce impact persist.
Marketers are rapidly embracing generative artificial intelligence (AI), with a recent report from the ISBA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) highlighting a significant surge in adoption over the past year. The findings, released around September 9, 2025, indicate a transformative shift in how marketing professionals leverage AI tools for efficiency and effectiveness.
The study reveals that the proportion of advertisers reporting at least one live generative AI use case has more than quadrupled, climbing from a mere 9% in April 2024 to an impressive 41% by July 2025. Beyond live applications, an additional 27% of marketers are actively experimenting with generative AI, while 28% are in the exploration phase, underscoring a widespread engagement with the technology across the industry.
Efficiency is the primary catalyst for this rapid adoption, with 62% of advertisers identifying time and cost savings as the main focus of their generative AI strategies and use cases. This aligns with broader industry trends, as a Basis Technologies survey from August 2025 found that over 73% of professionals reported being moderately or significantly more productive due to AI over the past year, a notable increase from 54% in 2024.
Rachel Moss, former marketing director of The National Lottery and an ISBA member, commented on the evolving landscape: “While we seem to have leant into using it for creative assets and efficiency for easy wins, it’s great to see as understanding and experience matures, the focus on our gaps has also become more sophisticated – be that in workforce skills and displacement as well as environmental impacts.”
The most common applications of AI in marketing include ideation and research, cited by 76% or more of respondents. ChatGPT remains the dominant tool, utilized by 88% of professionals, significantly outpacing other AI platforms. The investment in AI is also on the rise, with over 65% of organizations now subscribing to paid AI tools, up from 44% in 2024.
Despite the enthusiasm, the report also sheds light on growing concerns and ethical considerations. Generative AI policies are becoming standard practice, with 58% of advertisers already having them in place and another 19% actively developing them. These policies address critical areas such as intellectual property and copyright, AI labelling and transparency, bias and discrimination, potential workforce displacement, and environmental impacts.
Indeed, the Basis Technologies survey highlights that 86% of marketers are concerned about copyright and legal exposure, 70% support regulation of AI development and use, and 63% are worried about AI’s energy footprint. Alarmingly, 100% of respondents view generative AI as a brand safety risk, with 40% considering it a significant one.
Regarding workforce dynamics, while 25% of organizations have either replaced or plan to replace employees with AI, a majority (66%) of professionals feel little risk of losing their own roles in the next 3-5 years. However, the shift in digital strategy is evident, with nearly one in five marketers deprioritizing SEO due to AI’s influence on search.
Katie McAdams, CMO of Basis Technologies, emphasized the inevitability of AI in the sector: “The Basis annual AI survey shows that this is an unstoppable force in business, especially advertising and marketing. AI’s benefits far outweigh concerns for now, but marketers must remain vigilant.”
Josh Campo, CEO of digital agency Razorfish, noted the practical applications: “In the real world, where we’re at today, there’s a lot of things that gen AI can do that have dramatic productivity impacts. The things it does best seem to be the things that people don’t like to do.” Lance Wolder, head of strategy at PadSquad, added that the ‘process part’ of AI’s influence, such as early-stage tasks like briefing, research, and storyboarding, is currently ‘underappreciated.’
Also Read:
- AI’s Transformative Grip on Mobile Apps and Digital Advertising Unveiled in 2025 Reports
- Consumers Embrace Generative AI for Online Shopping, Yet Privacy Concerns Persist: Omnisend Report
As generative AI continues to evolve, its role in content creation, hyper-personalization, and accelerating the customer journey is expected to expand further, making it an indispensable tool for marketers navigating the future landscape.
