Q3 2026
CMO Signals & Shifts
AI is unavoidable and visibility in AI-driven search is quickly becoming a strategic priority.
But beneath that consensus lies a series of surprising contradictions.
For the Q3 2026 edition of CMO Signals & Shifts, Arketi Group and JM Search surveyed more than 100 marketing, communications and PR leaders, including 35 CMOs, to uncover six AI truths shaping the industry today. The findings reveal a widening gap between adoption and impact, growing pressure to prove ROI, and rising concerns about brand trust in the AI era.
Get the complete findings from CMO Signals & Shifts: Q3 2026.
Inside: all six AI truths, how CMOs compare with the wider leadership team, and the data behind each finding.
While AI adoption is nearly universal, the deeper numbers suggest many organizations are still early in turning experimentation into measurable impact.
How would you classify your organization’s current AI maturity in marketing?
| Maturity | Marketing Leaders | CMOs |
|---|---|---|
| Leading | 18% | 25% |
| Advancing | 35% | 32% |
| Emerging | 36% | 39% |
| Early-stage | 11% | 4% |
Adoption is no longer the finish line. The gap between using AI and getting value from it is where the next five truths begin.
Each truth includes the data behind it, plus a look at how CMOs compare with the broader leadership team.
Arketi Group and JM Search conducted the CMO Signals & Shifts survey in August 2026.
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