Key stat: 41% of marketing and advertising decision-makers worldwide plan to use AI for campaign activation in 2025—up from just 31% in 2024, according to March 2025 data from DoubleVerify.

Beyond the chart:

• Nearly a third (31%) of North American marketers are currently using AI to optimize campaign journeys, according to April 2025 data from GrowthLoop and Ascend2.
• That said, human oversight remains critical—37% of North American marketers report that human intervention is still necessary when using AI to optimize campaign journeys, per GrowthLoop and Ascend2.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to make the case for reallocating AI investments from backend data crunching to more front-line functions—like media buying and real-time optimization. Whether you're pitching a tool, building a martech stack, or managing a campaign, activation is where AI is set to deliver more ROI in 2025.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Tech Trends H1 2025 (EMARKETER subscription)
• Generative AI Use Cases for Marketers (EMARKETER subscription)

Methodology: Data is from the August 2025 DoubleVerify report titled, "AI, Automation and the Future of Digital Advertising: 2025 Global Insights" conducted by Sapio Research. 1,970 marketing and advertising decision-makers worldwide were surveyed during March 2025. Respondents were from Asia-Pacific (Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam); Europe, Middle East, and Africa (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, UK); Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Mexico); and North America (Canada, US). Sample data was collected from online partner panels via an email invitation and online survey. Results are subject to a sampling variation of +/-2.2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.