How to Use AI in Marketing (2026): Strategy, Risks, and What Consumers Actually Want

AI in marketing isn’t something on the horizon anymore. It’s already part of how most teams are working day to day, shaping campaigns, speeding things up, and quietly sitting behind a lot of the decisions being made.

The question now isn’t whether marketers should be using AI. That part’s already settled. It’s about how to use it in a way that actually works.

Because while adoption is moving quickly, trust isn’t automatically coming with it.

Canva’s State of Marketing & AI 2026 report puts this into perspective. Consumers aren’t rejecting AI outright. They’re reacting to how it shows up. When it feels unclear, intrusive, or a bit too clever for its own good, that’s where things start to break down.

Which is exactly why taking a more human-first approach matters now more than ever.

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How is AI being used in marketing today

If you’re looking into how to use AI in marketing, you’re in the same position as most teams right now. Everyone is experimenting, but not everyone is clear on what good actually looks like.

At the moment, AI is being used across content creation, personalisation, customer insights, automation, and campaign optimisation. It’s helping teams move faster and do more with less.

What’s changed is how it’s being perceived. It’s no longer just a tool you dip in and out of. For many teams, it feels more like a collaborator that sits alongside the work.

And with most marketing leaders planning to increase investment, it’s clear this isn’t a short-term shift.

But there’s a catch. AI on its own isn’t a differentiator anymore. Access is widespread. What matters now is how thoughtfully it’s used.

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The benefits of AI in marketing, and where they fall short

The benefits are easy to see. AI helps teams produce content faster, analyse data more efficiently, and scale activity without needing to scale headcount in the same way.

For busy teams, that can feel like a lifeline. It’s a big part of why adoption is accelerating so quickly across the industry.

But more output doesn’t always mean better marketing.

AI can generate content quickly, but it doesn’t always understand what makes something resonate. It can identify patterns, but it doesn’t replace human judgement.

In reality, AI tends to amplify whatever is already there. If your strategy is strong, it helps you move faster. If it’s unclear or unfocused, it just accelerates the problem.

That’s where a lot of brands are getting caught out. They’re seeing the efficiency, but not always the impact.

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The biggest risks of using AI in marketing

This is where things start to shift from opportunity to responsibility.

While marketers are focused on what AI can do, consumers are paying attention to how it’s being used. Trust is the defining factor.

According to the report, 53% of consumers say protecting their data is the most important factor in building trust. 52% want brands to clearly disclose when AI is being used. And 37% want the ability to opt out entirely.

This isn’t resistance to AI. It’s a demand for transparency and control.

When people feel like they understand what’s happening and have a say in it, they’re far more open to AI being part of the experience. When they don’t, trust drops quickly.

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AI personalisation, where it works and where it crosses the line

Personalisation has always been part of good marketing. AI just makes it easier to scale.

But it also makes it easier to overstep.

Consumers still want relevance. In fact, 81% say they want ads that are useful, and 77% want them to feel relevant. That hasn’t changed.

What has changed is how sensitive people are to how that relevance is achieved.

58% say they don’t want AI predicting what they want. And 52% say they feel uncomfortable when ads seem to know too much about them.

That’s the balance marketers are trying to get right.

When personalisation is grounded in context, it works. When it’s based on assumptions or feels overly precise, it starts to feel uncomfortable.

Good personalisation feels like a service. It helps someone in the moment. Bad personalisation feels like the brand knows more than it should.

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Why control is becoming just as important as personalisation

There’s also a growing expectation around control.

The report shows that 80% of consumers want something like a “privacy slider”, a simple way to control how much personalisation they experience.

That’s a strong signal. People aren’t asking for less technology, they’re asking for more say in how it’s used.

For brands, that shifts personalisation from something you optimise behind the scenes to something you actively design with the customer.

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Why trust is becoming the most important marketing metric

There’s a broader shift happening here.

Trust is no longer just something built through brand campaigns or messaging, it’s being shaped through experience.

How transparent you are. How much control you give people. How clearly you explain what’s happening behind the scenes.

These are the things consumers are paying attention to.

At Pepper, this aligns closely with how we’ve always approached marketing. Human-first isn’t a trend for us. It’s about making sure the experience still feels considered and respectful, even as the technology evolves.

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Human-first marketing in the age of AI

Using AI in a human-first way doesn’t mean using less of it. It means being more deliberate with how it’s applied.

It means using AI to support creativity rather than replace it. Letting it handle scale and efficiency, while keeping people responsible for the ideas, the tone, and the direction.

It also means thinking about how things feel on the receiving end.

• Does this content feel generic.
• Does this targeting feel intrusive.
• Does this experience feel clear and fair.

Those questions matter just as much as performance metrics.

Because the more advanced AI becomes, the more noticeable it is when something feels off.

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How to build an AI marketing strategy that actually works

If you’re trying to figure out how to use AI in your marketing, it helps to step back from the tools and focus on a few core principles.

Start with trust. Just because AI can do something doesn’t mean it should. Think about how each use case will be perceived, not just how it performs.

Use AI to enhance your team, not replace it. Let it take care of repetitive or time-consuming work, but keep human input at the centre of decision-making.

• Be more considered with personalisation. Focus on relevance and usefulness rather than trying to predict everything.
• Invest in creative quality. AI can produce content at scale, but strong ideas still come from people.
• Give users control. Make it easy for people to understand what’s happening and to set their own boundaries.

When those things are in place, AI becomes a real advantage. Without them, it can quickly erode trust.

The future of AI in marketing

AI is becoming part of the infrastructure of marketing. It’s not something separate anymore, it’s built into how work gets done. But as that happens, the things that set brands apart are changing.

The challenge isn’t adoption anymore, it’s differentiation.

Creativity, trust and clarity matter more.

The brands that stand out won’t be the ones using AI the most aggressively. They’ll be the ones using it in a way that still feels considered and human.

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FAQs: AI in Marketing

What is AI in marketing

AI in marketing refers to the use of technologies like machine learning and automation to improve how marketing is planned, created, and optimised. It’s commonly used for content creation, targeting, personalisation, and data analysis.

How is AI used in marketing today

AI is used across content creation, audience segmentation, campaign optimisation, and workflow automation. It’s increasingly built into everyday marketing tools rather than used separately.

What are the benefits of AI in marketing

AI helps marketers work more efficiently, scale content production, and make better use of data. It can save time and improve performance when used alongside a strong strategy.

What are the risks of using AI in marketing

The main risks include loss of customer trust, overly intrusive personalisation, low-quality or generic content, and lack of transparency around how data is used.

How can marketers use AI without losing the human touch

By keeping human oversight in creative work, focusing on relevance rather than over-targeting, being transparent about AI usage, and giving users control over their experience.

What is human-first marketing

Human-first marketing is an approach that prioritises customer experience, trust, and emotional connection. AI is used to support this, not replace it.

Is AI replacing marketers

AI is changing how marketers work, but it isn’t replacing them. It acts as a support system, while humans remain responsible for strategy, creativity, and decision-making.

What is the future of AI in marketing

AI will continue to become part of core marketing infrastructure. Success will depend on how well brands balance efficiency with trust, creativity, and transparency.

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Read Canva's State of Marketing & AI Report here.