In our August 2026 data, 81 percent of the people in our marketing and growth rooms are past exploring agentic AI. The largest single group, 36 percent, is building agentic products. A fifth run agents in production across the business. Only 19 percent are still exploring, which makes exploration the smallest category in a function that was supposed to be the cautious one.

What the rooms want to learn has moved with the deployment. We ask applicants what they want to walk out with, and from 119 answers the striking theme is org design: sixteen mentions, ahead of measurement at six. The specific asks say it best: a blueprint for an agentic marketing org chart, how teams restructure workflows and operating models as agents join day-to-day execution. Marketing leaders are not asking whether agents work. They are asking what the team around them should look like.

Marketing leaders are not asking whether agents work. They are asking what the team around them should look like.

Measurement is not solved, it is next. As agentic buying changes the funnel, attribution gets re-litigated, and that is the subject of our upcoming Marketing Measurement panel in Palo Alto.

Full data: CMO AI Leverage Report, August 2026. Marketing leaders work these questions at the CMO Executive Forum.

Last updated: August 5, 2026

Murray Newlands
Murray Newlands
Founder, Open Future Forum

Murray Newlands has been building executive communities in Silicon Valley since 2019. Open Future Forum hosts private dinners and events for C-suite leaders and board directors navigating the AI era, grounded in a give-first philosophy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many marketing teams use AI agents in 2026?
In Open Future Forum's marketing and growth rooms, 81 percent of 230 respondents are past exploration: 36 percent building agentic products, 26 percent piloting, 20 percent running agents in production.
What do CMOs want to know about AI?
From 119 open answers: peer comparisons first, then practical use cases, then org design, including how to structure a marketing team around agents.
Is there a peer community for CMOs working on AI?
Yes. The CMO Executive Forum is Open Future Forum's invitation-only peer group for senior marketing leaders, meeting through dinners, panels, and gatherings in Silicon Valley. Membership is by application at openfutureforum.com/apply.
How do I attend an Open Future Forum marketing event?
Events are listed at openfutureforum.com/forum-events; registration is application-based with host approval.
CMO Research

The Full Agentic Status Data

The CMO AI Leverage Report, August 2026, carries the status ladder, the seat and vertical cuts, and the qualitative layer. Marketing leaders work these questions at the CMO Executive Forum.

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