The AI-First CMO in 2025
By Adam Kleinberg
In our latest The Futureproof Project session, we tackled the hard truth about AI’s rapid evolution. I had the pleasure of hosting Tara Sharp, former Google, Sonic & Viasat CMO, an expert at the intersection of AI, marketing, and business strategy.
For those who missed it, The Futureproof Project is a community I launched to help marketing leaders navigate emerging technologies. And let’s be real—AI has emerged.
During this live Q&A, we explored the state of AI in 2025—what’s working, what’s hype, and how marketers can actually futureproof themselves in a world where AI is evolving at an alarming pace.
Here’s what you need to know.
Key Takeaways
AI is Now "Table Stakes": AI has rapidly moved from an experimental tool to a core business function essential for staying competitive. The next evolution is the rise of autonomous AI agents that don't just assist with but independently execute marketing tasks.
Human Oversight is Crucial for Quality Creative: While AI can efficiently produce "good enough" creative, it often results in "B+ work". The most effective marketing teams use AI for the first 90% of the creative process, reserving the final 10% for the human touch that ensures excellence and strategic alignment.
Data Privacy & Internal Roadblocks are Major Risks: Marketers face significant challenges in AI adoption, including pushback from internal IT and legal teams over security concerns. This is compounded by an external data privacy crisis, with unprecedented data loss threatening to erode consumer and brand trust.
AI is Forcing a Shift in Business Models: The efficiency gains from AI are breaking the traditional agency model of billing by the hour. The future belongs to agencies and marketers who can shift to pricing based on outcomes and solutions, focusing on strategy over simple execution.
AI is no longer a test — it’s a core business function.
A year ago, AI was the shiny new toy everyone was experimenting with. Now? It’s table stakes.
Tara laid out just how much things have changed in the past 12 months:
- AI agents are the next big thing—tools that don’t just assist but actually autonomously execute marketing tasks.
- AI adoption is no longer limited to early adopters—if even the California DMV is using AI for customer service, we’ve officially entered mass adoption.
- Marketers have more AI tools at their disposal than ever before—but picking the right ones is where the real advantage lies.
The message was clear: AI isn’t just about saving time anymore. It’s about staying competitive. If your competitors are using AI to optimize their marketing, analyze data, and generate creative faster and better than you, you’re going to lose.
Tara discusses the state of AI adoption.
AI is democratizing creativity — but are we sacrificing quality?
We talked a lot about AI-generated creative. Tara made a bold claim: AI tools can produce “good enough” creative, but most of it is B+ work.
And let’s be real—B+ isn’t good enough.
- AI tools like Canva and Writer are game-changers for efficiency.
- But creative teams are struggling—does AI make them faster, or does it make them replaceable?
- The best marketers are using AI for the first 90% of the work and keeping the human touch for the final 10%—where real creativity happens.
The key takeaway? AI is an enabler, not a replacement. If you’re blindly trusting AI to produce great creative without human oversight, you’re setting yourself up for mediocrity.
Tara discusses B+ quality output.
The big roadblock: IT and legal aren’t playing ball.
One of the most revealing parts of the session was how marketers are getting pushback from their own companies.
Tara shared an example of an AI-powered customer experience tool that had marketers raving—but IT and legal teams blocking implementation.
Why?
- Security concerns—AI tools process massive amounts of data, and that freaks out IT teams.
- Data privacy risks—Marketers want to use AI, but legal is wary of compliance issues.
- Lack of education—The people blocking AI adoption often don’t understand it.
For AI to work in your organization, collaboration is key. Marketers need to speak the language of IT and legal, proving that AI isn’t a risk—it’s an opportunity.
If your company is resisting AI adoption, start small. Get a quick win. Show the results. Then scale.
Tara discusses marketers' dreams vs. IT nightmares.
The marketing pricing model is broken—AI will change it.
For decades, agencies and freelancers have billed clients by the hour. But if AI allows you to create in seconds instead of hours, what happens next?
Adam pointed out a huge shift coming in 2025:🚀 The best agencies won’t sell hours—they’ll sell solutions.
That means:
✅ Pricing based on outcomes, not time spent.
✅ AI-assisted workflows that drive efficiency.
✅ Marketing teams focused on strategy, not execution.
Agencies that embrace AI will thrive—those that don’t will struggle to justify their value.
Adam discusses unlocking creativity with an abundance mindset.
The data privacy crisis is coming.
One of the most eye-opening parts of the Q&A? The real risk isn’t AI—it’s what AI does with your data.
Tara dropped this bombshell:
🚨 “We’ve lost more personal data in the last 18 months than at any other time in history.”
Why?
- AI systems require massive amounts of data—and most companies don’t have the infrastructure to protect it properly.
- There’s no global regulatory body ensuring AI privacy and security.
- Marketers are racing to use AI without fully understanding the risks.
This isn’t just a legal issue—it’s a brand trust issue. Consumers will lose trust in companies that don’t handle AI-driven data responsibly.
Tara discusses the unprecedented loss of personal data issues.
The AI tech stack is a mess (and marketers are drowning in tools).
If you’re overwhelmed by AI tools, you’re not alone.
There are 80,000+ AI companies right now (and probably 5,000 more by the time you finish this article). Marketers are stuck juggling multiple AI tools for different tasks, leading to:
- Confusing tech stacks that don’t integrate properly.
- Wasted budgets on tools that don’t deliver ROI.
- Massive learning curves that slow down adoption.
Tara made a request to developers:
🤖 “Someone needs to build an AI tool that helps me manage all my AI tools.”
Until that happens, marketers need to be strategic about what AI tools they invest in.
Tara discusses AI's rapid evolution.
Final thought: The future belongs to the bold.
AI is here. It’s not a passing trend. It’s not a gimmick. It’s the biggest shift in marketing since the internet.
The question isn’t “Should we use AI?”It’s “How do we use AI better than our competitors?”
That’s the challenge. That’s the opportunity. And that’s what The Futureproof Project is all about.
If you want to stay ahead, keep testing, keep learning, and most importantly—keep futureproofing. 🚀
Want to dive deeper into AI-driven marketing? Drop us a line.
Frequently Asked Questions about AI in Marketing for 2025
Q1: How has AI's role in marketing changed by 2025?
A1: By 2025, AI is no longer an experimental tool but a core business function and "table stakes" for staying competitive. The most significant evolution is the emergence of autonomous AI agents that can execute marketing tasks independently, not just assist with them. Mass adoption is now the standard, with organizations like the California DMV using AI for customer service. The key to gaining an advantage lies in selecting the right AI tools from the thousands available.
Q2: Can AI replace human creativity in marketing?
A2: No, AI is considered an enabler, not a replacement for human creativity. While AI tools like Canva and Writer are game-changers for efficiency, they typically produce "B+ work" that is "good enough" but not excellent. The best marketing teams use AI for the first 90% of the creative process and apply a crucial human touch for the final 10% to ensure high quality and strategic thinking. Blindly trusting AI without human oversight can lead to mediocre results.
Q3: What are the biggest challenges marketers face when adopting AI?
A3: Marketers face two primary challenges:
Internal Roadblocks: There is often significant pushback from IT and legal departments within companies. These teams block the implementation of new AI tools due to major concerns about security and data privacy risks.
Tool Overload: The AI tech stack is a "mess," with over 80,000 AI companies in the market. This leaves marketers feeling overwhelmed, juggling multiple confusing tools that don't integrate well and struggling with steep learning curves.
Q4: How is AI impacting marketing agency business models?
A4: AI is fundamentally breaking the traditional agency model of billing clients by the hour. Because AI can perform tasks in seconds that once took hours, the value proposition is shifting. By 2025, the most successful agencies will no longer sell hours; they will sell solutions and price their work based on outcomes. This allows marketing teams to focus more on high-level strategy rather than simple execution.
Q5: What is the biggest risk of using AI in marketing?
A5: The most significant risk is not the AI technology itself, but the data privacy crisis it has accelerated. According to former Google CMO Tara Sharp, more personal data has been lost in the last 18 months than at any other time in history. This is because AI systems require massive amounts of data, and most companies lack the proper infrastructure to protect it, especially with no global regulatory body for AI security. Mishandling data is a major brand trust issue that can erode consumer confidence.
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