New research from ISBA reveals 58% of advertisers now have a generative AI policy in place.
Marketers are continuing to adopt generative AI for efficiency and effectiveness, but AI skills training is lagging behind, according to ISBA’s latest Generative AI member survey released today (9 September).
In just over a year, the proportion of advertisers reporting at least one live gen AI use case has more than quadrupled, rising from 9% in April 2024 to 41% in July 2025. Another 27% are experimenting and 28% are exploring.
Of those use cases, efficiency is driving adoption more so than effectiveness. At this stage, 62% of advertisers report that efficiency (defined as savings of time and money) is the primary focus of their gen AI strategy and use cases.
Marketers are continuing to adopt generative AI for efficiency and effectiveness, but AI skills training is lagging behind, according to ISBA’s latest Generative AI member survey released today (9 September).
In just over a year, the proportion of advertisers reporting at least one live gen AI use case has more than quadrupled, rising from 9% in April 2024 to 41% in July 2025. Another 27% are experimenting and 28% are exploring.
Of those use cases, efficiency is driving adoption more so than effectiveness. At this stage, 62% of advertisers report that efficiency (defined as savings of time and money) is the primary focus of their gen AI strategy and use cases.
Meanwhile, gen AI policies are becoming more commonplace, with 58% of advertisers now having them and a further 19% actively developing them. These policies address key ethical considerations, including IP and copyright, AI labelling and transparency, bias and discrimination, workforce displacement and environmental impacts.
When it comes to upskilling, the overall trend is positive, with industry-wide conversations now focusing on upskilling and training, yet there is still room to grow.
Just under half (46%) of advertisers have not yet started AI skills training, highlighting a significant opportunity for industry-wide collaboration. Promisingly, 35% are training as part of a company-wide programme.
Ensuring the industry has the “right skills and guidelines” is the “essential next step”, according to ISBA president and former Boots UK CMO Pete Markey.
“Gen AI is a transformative technology for marketers and it’s exciting to see the level of adoption among ISBA members is rapidly increasing,” he says.
The survey also highlights changes in agency relationships. Agency contracts are being updated to include gen AI terms, with 10% already revised and 37% in progress. Marketers are also planning to increase their use of agency partners, a positive signal for the sector.
The study aligns with Marketing Week’s Language of Effectiveness survey, which finds over half (57.5%) of marketers are already using AI to generate content and creative ideas for campaigns.
“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,” explains former marketing director of The National Lottery and ISBA member, Rachel Moss.
“Important conversations for me in the next year are how we create future marketing talent when AI may be replacing some of the entry-level tasks, and how we leverage AI both as a tool and enabler of sustainability within business.”
