This article shares the high-level takeaways from a webinar run by our CEO and Founder, Matthew Stibbe. You can watch it here.
From copywriting and design to video, SEO, personalisation and analytics, AI is now embedded in almost every platform we touch. Yet despite the hype, many teams still feel overwhelmed by choice and unsure which tools genuinely deliver value.
That’s why we created our AI Tools Census. Not to predict the future or chase the latest shiny objects, but to understand what marketers are really using today and what patterns are emerging as we head into 2026.
One of the strongest signals from our research is that AI adoption is widespread, but uneven. Tools are everywhere, yet the promised revolution in marketing productivity feels patchy and incomplete.
Many teams are juggling overlapping platforms, paying for multiple subscriptions that solve similar problems. Others are experimenting enthusiastically without a clear strategy, while some are taking a more cautious, problem-led approach to adoption.
What’s clear is that the challenge is no longer access to AI. It’s making sense of it.
AI tools that sit inside existing workflows, CRMs, content systems and analytics platforms are proving far more useful than isolated point solutions. When AI reduces friction instead of adding another login or process, it gets used.
This is particularly true in marketing teams where speed, collaboration and visibility matter. Tools that plug into platforms like HubSpot, Notion or core CMS and reporting systems are easier to adopt and easier to justify.
AI-powered writing is one of the most established use cases for LLMs, but fast growth and maturity have brought a new challenge: sameness.
With infinite words available at the click of a button, the differentiator is no longer content volume. It’s quality, brand alignment and human judgement. The tools that stand out are those that support governance, tone of voice and collaboration, rather than simply producing more text.
Design and video are where many marketers are seeing the most time savings with repetitive tasks.
AI is helping remove production bottlenecks, democratise access to design tools and speed up video editing, transcription and repurposing. This has begun to and will continue to change the role of specialists. Designers and videographers are increasingly focused on systems, strategy and higher-value work, while AI handles repetitive tasks.
As content formats diversify, these tools are becoming central to modern content pipelines.
Some of the most widely adopted AI tools are also the least controversial. Meeting transcription, summarisation and research assistance are now close to table stakes.
They save time, improve recall and unlock new uses for existing conversations, from content creation to sales insight. In many cases, marketers who are not using these tools are simply making life harder for themselves.
AI-driven personalisation continues to attract interest, but it also carries risk.
Used thoughtfully, it can help tailor experiences and experiments without heavy developer involvement. Used poorly, it becomes automated noise. The tools that perform best are those that balance experimentation with control, have access to great data, and are grounded in a clear strategy about what should and should not be personalised.
As AI use increases, so do concerns around privacy, data usage, copyright and bias.
One of the clearest trends we’re seeing is a growing focus on governance. Marketers are paying closer attention to where data goes, how models are trained and whether tools are safe to use at scale. Confidence and trust are becoming as important as functionality.
The AI Tools Census does not promise a single platform to rule them all. Nor does it suggest that marketers should chase every new release.
If you want to understand which AI tools are gaining real traction, why some succeed while others stall, and how marketing teams are thinking about adoption heading into 2026, the full report goes into the data and detail.
Download the AI Tools Census report here.