Marketers jump on AI with gusto but keep a tight grip

As agency groups battle it out to prove they have the shiniest AI tools, it has been revealed that UK marketers are rapid-adopters, with 84% now using the technology in their daily roles, compared to a global average of 66%, but most are still keeping a tight grip on the outcomes.

That is according to HubSpot’s 2025 State of AI in Marketing Report, which claims to offer new insight into how AI is reshaping workflows, team structures and performance metrics across the UK marketing landscape.
This is no longer early-stage experimentation. For most UK marketers, AI is now a core part of how campaigns are built, refined and delivered.

Yet even as adoption increases, the findings also highlight a deliberate, measured approach – where marketers are keen to realise the benefits of automation and ideation, but maintain firm control over final output.

Most UK marketers report saving at least 1 hour a week on tasks like data analysis and reporting (cited by 86% of respondents), media content creation (76%), automating direct brand messaging or conversational marketing (70%) and market research (67%). When applied across multiple tasks, these savings can quickly add up – often equating to a full workday regained each week.

These gains are fuelling new ways of working, the report reveals. Rather than replacing traditional skills, AI is supporting and accelerating the creative process.

In fact, half (51%) of UK marketers say they have used image or design generators in their role in the past 12 months; 39% say they have used video or animation generators; and 38% have used voice or narration generators over the same period.

Beyond specific tools, UK marketers are also using generative AI to support early-stage creative work – 42% are currently using it to brainstorm ideas, and 36% use it to build outlines for marketing content.

But marketers are not fully handing over the creative reins. When using GenAI to write copy, almost all UK marketers (97%) make some form of edits before it goes live, with over a quarter (26%) making significant edits to the text. This suggests that AI is being used to accelerate creative production without replacing human voice or intent.

AI tools are being assessed like any other business investment – by impact. Three-quarters (76%) of UK marketers report a positive return on investment from AI and automation, with the strongest performance in content and customer engagement.

Eight in ten (79%) of UK marketers report positive ROI from brand chatbots; 70% see positive returns from AI-generated social media content; 67% see positive returns from long-form blog content; and 65% see positives returns from email marketing.

The report points out that a key factor in these returns is integration. Nine out of ten (91%) UK marketers are leveraging AI tools that are embedded in platforms and software they already use – such as writing tools in marketing software or image tools in editing platforms. Among those who use embedded AI, almost all (96%) say it has increased their overall usage of AI tools.

The report suggests that this is a sign of a maturing market. UK marketers are backing tools that fit cleanly into existing workflows. Integration and usability are outpacing innovation for its own sake.

However, although AI adoption is widespread, UK marketers are embracing a balanced mindset when it comes to how the technology should be used. The majority believe AI should remain a support mechanism rather than a dominant force.

In fact, 58% say people should use AI and automation in their roles, but avoid becoming overly reliant on it and just 18% believe AI and automation should be used as much as possible

Interestingly almost a quarter (24%) of the profession, reckon marketers should avoid relying on it altogether.

This caution coexists with confidence. Nearly three-quarters (69%) of marketers believe they would recognise inaccurate information produced by GenAI, and, while 43% expect AI to significantly reshape how they do their job in 2025, only 21% express significant concern that it could fully replace their job in the coming years. HubSpot

HubSpot EMEA VP and managing director Mark Barry commented: “UK marketers are proving that AI success isn’t about chasing hype, it’s about embedding the right tools into existing workflows to deliver meaningful value.

“What we’re seeing in this data is a shift from experimentation to purposeful adoption. AI is helping teams save time, accelerate ideation and boost performance, but it’s also being used with intention. And the UK’s marketing community is setting a powerful example of what responsible AI can look like in practice.”