Stat: CMOs embrace AI while doubling down on human creativity 

Global – Dentsu Creative has released its 2025 CMO report, which draws on insights from nearly 2,000 senior marketing leaders in 14 countries about their sector's place at the intersection of AI and human ingenuity. It finds that AI is enabling scale, speed and personalisation yet, while AI is firmly embedded in daily workflows, human imagination and cultural intelligence are more valued than ever. 

Although 71% of CMOs acknowledge that ‘if I don’t win with the algorithm, I will be invisible’, 79% warn that leaning too heavily on algorithms risks a ‘sea of sameness’.

The report highlights that 87% of CMOs believe future strategies will require greater creativity, empathy and humanity, while 78% insist that generative AI can never replace human imagination. Today’s CMOs overwhelmingly agree that co-creation is a critical lever, with 91% saying that in the future, brands will be built through partnerships with creators, platforms and culture makers. 

‘The more we embrace AI, the more human we must become; unearthing the deeply personal truths, grounded in culture, that resonate, differentiate and scale,’ says Patricia McDonald, global CSO at Dentsu Creative.

Read our macrotrend report The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence to understand how AI can enhance human creativity and capabilities.