Forty-two percent of marketers say their budgets have increased as a result of AI, and a third say it’s also significantly increased turnover, according to new research from Semrush. The study, “AI Myths Marketers Believed and What the Data Actually Shows,” found that the impact of AI is less about cutting costs and more about reshaping the way marketing organizations invest and operate.
That change is clearly visible in the way the budget is changing.
AI increased the budget of less than 42% of marketers, while about 16% reported a decrease. Another 28% say there has been no noticeable impact so far, while a small group say it’s too early to tell. That means AI is not causing widespread cost reductions. Instead, it creates pressure to invest, explore and expand capabilities.
The trend is even more evident when you look at how the budget is reallocated. More than 40% of marketers say AI has already driven major changes in where their money goes, while another 28% report smaller shifts. Even among those who have not yet made the changes, many expect it to be within the next year. The direction is clear. AI doesn’t sit on top of existing techniques. It actively reshapes them.
Martech stacks continue to grow
At the same time, marketing stacks are still growing, as AI tools promise to integrate. About a third of sellers say their inventory has increased slightly over the past year, while another quarter say it has increased significantly. About the same share says it’s always low. Very few report any meaningful reduction.
That may seem to contradict other findings. About half of marketers say they’ve replaced a lot of tools with AI, while another third say they’ve replaced at least a few. But the contradiction is more apparent than real. What is happening is exchange and expansion, not simplification. AI is replacing certain point solutions while also introducing entirely new capabilities that require additional tools, workflows and integrations.
This dynamic is more pronounced in organizations with large budgets. Teams with more than $500,000 are more likely to replace a large number of tools with AI. That suggests that scale plays a role in how companies rethink their stack, and how quickly they can make those changes.
AI is not slowing down sales teams
Head count trends reinforce the same pattern. About one-third of the groups report significant growth, with the other quarter seeing a slight increase. Only a small percentage report any reduction. That’s contrary to the idea that AI will shrink sales teams. In fact, many organizations seem to be adding people to support new workflows, manage AI-driven processes and generate more output.
The difference in group size points to deep change. AI is not replacing marketers as it is changing the way work is done. Some teams use it to measure content and productivity with a few people. Others are investing more talent to take advantage of what AI makes possible.
What emerges from the data is a very different picture than the usual story. AI is not just a cost-saving tool, nor is it a specific area of expertise or existing talent. It is a force that redistributes resources across budgets, tools and teams.
The retailers who see the biggest changes aren’t necessarily the ones who cut the most. They are the ones that are renovating the fastest, trying the hardest and building around AI as a core part of how sales work.
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That may be the most important takeaway. The impact of AI is not only seen as efficiency. It appears as acceleration.
Methodology
The survey is based on responses from 1,008 marketing budget decision makers across the United States, spanning roles from marketing executives to CMOs, founders and executives. Respondents represented a wide range of budgets, from less than $100,000 to more than $10 million, with the largest share commanding between $500,000 and $2 million. The sample was evenly split by gender and included participants from all major US states, providing a broad view of how AI is affecting marketing organizations today.
Read more about the survey here. (No registration required)
