Something counterintuitive is happening in the advertising world right now: AI technology is moving at breakneck speed, but marketers are taking a much more measured approach. In a recent Digiday analysis, “A CMO’s reality check on AI,” industry experts explored this mismatch between fast-evolving systems and cautious human adoption. For most brands, AI still acts as an assistant on probation rather than an operator with authority to measure marketing impact.
At Mile Marker, we are seeing this exact dynamic play out in real-time. Brands aren’t shying away from AI, but they are highly focused on governance, accountability, and practical business impact over flashy, fully autonomous tools.
While the industry hype cycle has been loud, the reality on the ground is more nuanced. Advertisers are keeping humans firmly anchored in the workflow, guiding AI models and making the final calls. Businesses welcome systems that accelerate execution, but they are far less at ease when those systems start reshaping accountability and power without transparent oversight.
Mile Marker CEO Scott Shamberg weighed in on this shifting focus in Digiday, noting that while CMOs are leaning in, their line of questioning has fundamentally evolved.
“In the pitches that we’re getting, there’s certainly more AI questions, but we’re not getting ‘How is it used?’, ‘What does it do?’, ‘What’s the adoption rate?’ Scott shared. “We’re getting more high-level questions. ‘How do you think about it?’ How can it impact our business?’ versus anything that’s agentic specifically.”
The hesitation to hand the wheel fully over to AI is rooted in structural realism. Many marketing organizations still grapple with fragmented data and opaque supply paths in programmatic advertising. When these partial inputs begin shaping spending decisions rather than just generating insights, a brand’s financial exposure naturally rises.
CMOs recognize that AI can optimize within the current system, but layering a “black box” onto an already complex marketplace doesn’t automatically close governance gaps. At Mile Marker, we understand that smart integration means aligning AI capabilities with measurable outcomes, clear oversight, and strict accountability.
CMOs aren’t ignoring AI—they are strategically questioning its role. The brands that will win are those looking at their current business processes and deploying AI where it genuinely adds value and efficiency, without sacrificing oversight or control.
Read the full analysis See how top agencies and brands are navigating the reality of AI adoption. Read the full report on Digiday
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