HubSpot's State of Marketing is the largest independent survey of working marketers, and the 2026 edition leaves little room for ambiguity: AI is no longer a discussion topic, it's the operating environment.
The headline numbers
- 76% of respondents have integrated AI into core marketing operations.
- AI fluency is now the #1 skill CMOs say they look for when hiring.
- AI-generated dynamic display advertising grew adoption 61% year-on-year.
- Personalization leaders generate 40% more revenue than average players (a stat HubSpot cites from McKinsey research).
Beyond the headline
What is striking is the speed of adoption: in 2024 the same survey reported just 35% of marketers were using AI in production. The doubling in 24 months means most teams that delayed are now playing catch-up against teams that have already finished their second redesign cycle.
The VietMarkAI take: the report is free and worth reading in full. The single most useful chart is the breakdown of where AI is delivering measurable ROI today (lifecycle email, paid-search bidding, content production) versus where the hype is louder than the results (autonomous campaign management for complex B2B funnels).