A study by SAS shows a ‘shift’ in the use of AI technology. Generative AI has become mainstream, while agentic AI and even quantum AI are on the rise.
A new global study by SAS and Coleman Parkes among marketing departments shows that companies are ‘shifting’ in their use of AI technologies. Last year, generative AI or ‘GenAI’ was the buzzword, but today it no longer sounds as exciting. AI agents are taking over, while according to SAS, the next wave of ‘quantum AI’ is already cautiously emerging.
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Generative AI Has Become Mainstream
According to the report, generative AI is now part of the furniture within the marketing industry. While the technology was primarily used last year to speed up processes and save costs, the latest figures show that it now also provides clear added value for customer relationships and revenue growth.
85 percent of the surveyed marketers actively use generative AI, compared to 75 percent in 2024. 93 percent now see a demonstrable return on investment. The main benefits are better personalization (94 percent), more efficient processing of large datasets (91 percent), and time and cost savings (90 percent). According to the report, the technology also contributes to higher customer loyalty.
Agents Make the Difference
The report also points to the rise of AI agents, where systems autonomously make decisions, learn, and optimize processes. These applications are still in an early stage but already create a clear gap between companies that are already investing in them and organizations that are waiting. These conclusions are not surprising, as SAS itself is also fully investing in AI agents.
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Only 21 percent are currently testing the technology in a live environment. Among the ‘adopters’ group, 75 percent say they fully utilize AI, compared to 7 percent among the ‘observers’. The strategic difference is also significant: 63 percent of adopters have a company-wide AI strategy, compared to 25 percent of followers. It is expected that these differences will impact competitive positioning in the long term.
Here Comes Quantum
Although AI agents are still in their infancy, SAS cannot wait for the next ‘wave’ in AI technology. According to SAS, quantum AI will arrive faster than we think. Of the marketers already working with agentic AI, almost a third expect quantum to influence their work within two years. Six percent say they are already experiencing this, although it is not clear exactly how.
Especially in sectors such as financial services and life sciences, applications are already conceivable according to the report. Think of real-time simulations of customer journeys, large-scale hyper-personalization, and refined predictive analytics. These applications will only be possible on a broad scale when quantum computers prove reliable and can be brought to organizations affordably.