New survey data from Akkio reveals a striking paradox at media agencies: 52% of professionals are excited about AI’s possibilities, yet the same percentage cite accuracy concerns as their biggest barrier to adoption, potentially undermining ROI on significant technology investments. 

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A recent survey of media agency professionals reveals a fundamental disconnect between AI investment and adoption confidence. While holding companies pour hundreds of millions of dollars into AI transformation – WPP spending $317 million in 2024, Publicis investing $325 million over three years – deep-seated concerns about reliability are preventing professionals from fully utilizing these investments. 

Key Findings: 

• Over half cite accuracy concerns as the biggest barrier to AI adoption, potentially limiting ROI on AI investments
• Only 12% feel "very confident" using AI tools daily, suggesting underutilization of expensive AI capabilities
• Despite significant industry AI spending, over a quarter of users lack confidence in AI tools entirely
• 44% want more training - indicating investment in education may yield higher returns than new tools

Investment Outweighs User Confidence

Media agencies are making unprecedented investments as holding companies commit massive resources to transformation. However, when only 12% of professionals feel “very confident” using AI daily, agencies face a fundamental ROI challenge on these multi-million dollar investments. 

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While nearly all companies are investing in AI, only 1% of leaders call their companies "mature" on AI deployment, suggesting expensive platforms may be underutilized due to user hesitation rather than technology limitations.

The Multi-Million Dollar Confidence Gap 

The enthusiasm-anxiety paradox is evident in daily usage patterns. While 52% of respondents are "excited about AI possibilities" and another 28% are "cautiously optimistic," actual confidence levels tell a different story:

• Only 12% feel "very confident" using AI tools daily
• 60% report "somewhat confident," suggesting hesitation even among regular users
• 28% lack confidence entirely (24% "not very confident" + 4% "not confident at all")

This gap between enthusiasm and daily confidence represents a significant opportunity cost on agency AI investments.

Usage is Basic, at Best

In addition to adoption hesitations, AI usage also remains limited to basic applications:

• 60% use AI for writing briefs/recaps — the most popular current application
• 40% each for drafting copy and summarizing reports
• 24% each for campaign analysis and presentations
• 12% haven't used AI for work-related tasks yet

This usage pattern reveals that agencies are primarily leveraging expensive AI platforms for content creation rather than the strategic analysis and advanced capabilities these investments were designed to enable. 

This creates a significant gap between current reality and desired applications. Agency professionals  want to use it for "forecasting performance" – far more sophisticated applications than the basic writing tasks dominating current usage.

What’s Standing in the Way?

For these responders, greater AI adoption is barred by three specific concerns: 

Accuracy Concerns: Media professionals worry about AI-generated errors and factual inaccuracies. Given that agencies handle client budgets and brand reputations, even small errors can have significant consequences.

Data/Privacy Issues: With increasing regulatory scrutiny, agencies are cautious about AI tools that may not provide adequate transparency about how client information is processed or stored.

Lack of Training: Many professionals feel unprepared to evaluate AI outputs or understand tool limitations, creating uncertainty about when to rely on AI assistance. 

When asked what would help overcome these barriers, 44% pointed to more training and demonstrations as the top solution – suggesting education may be more valuable than additional technology purchases.

Industry Implications

Short-Term Impact: The confidence gap is likely limiting ROI on the hundreds of millions agencies are investing in AI transformation. Agencies that address these barriers may gain significant competitive advantages while others struggle with platform utilization.

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Long-Term Risk: If confidence issues aren't resolved, agencies risk falling behind as AI capabilities advance and client expectations evolve. The manual verification approaches many agencies currently use may not scale with increasing AI sophistication.

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Competitive Advantage: Agencies adopting observable, agency-specific AI platforms may achieve faster adoption rates, higher investment returns, and enhanced client confidence through familiar terminology and transparent recommendations.

Conclusion

Media agencies stand at a critical juncture with AI investment. While enthusiasm is high, the confidence to fully utilize these technology investments is not. 

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This disconnect represents more than just an adoption challenge – it’s a fundamental business risk. When agencies are investing hundreds of millions in AI capabilities but employees default to basic writing tasks due to trust concerns, the return on these massive investments is questionable at best. 

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The path forward will undoubtedly require addressing the human element of AI transformation, just as much as the technological one. The agencies that successfully bridge this confidence gap through education and transparent systems will be poised to realize return on those multi-million dollar investments. 

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To learn more about how agencies can navigate this confidence crisis, check out our blog 3 Ways Leading Media Agencies Are Building AI-First Cultures.

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