Gauging AI Readiness Among Independent Marketing Agencies

In March 2026, the Advertising & Marketing Independent Network (AMIN), a global alliance of independently owned agencies, partnered with Meyocks Research + Insights to survey 230 employees from member agencies across the United States to uncover how AI is transforming agency workflows, what’s driving or limiting progress, and the resources employees need to succeed. The findings reveal a workforce that is largely optimistic about AI’s potential, yet still navigating significant questions around capability, quality, and long-term impact on how teams work together.

Nearly nine in 10 respondents reported using AI for work-related tasks at least a few times a month, with almost half (47%) using it daily. While this research shows individual adoption is widespread, organizational integration remains in its early stages, with most employees describing their AI use as a personal practice rather than a deeply embedded part of team workflows.

Research highlights a key challenge facing organizations today: moving from experimentation to sustainable integration. Many employees have embraced AI as a personal productivity tool, but its use has not yet become a fully embedded part of team workflows, processes, and collaboration.

Key Finding | AI is Changing Who Employees Collaborate With

This gap points to an emerging collaboration shift where employees who have integrated AI most deeply may be doing more of their thinking and iterating with AI and less with their colleagues. While AI is creating opportunities for efficiency and productivity, 20% of respondents already report a negative impact on team collaboration, highlighting an area agency will need to address as adoption continues to grow.

Additional insights highlight four key areas shaping the future of AI adoption across agencies:

Beyond Efficiency, Questions Remain About Value Creation

Employees overwhelmingly believe AI will improve efficiency, both for individuals (51%) and teams (40%). Expectations for gains in work quality are positive but more measured, while perceptions of AI’s impact on job satisfaction and collaboration remain mixed.

Results reveal a meaningful gap between what employees believe AI can do for productivity and its effect on the human dimensions of work. The bigger questions center on value creation: whether AI will consistently improve quality, strengthen collaboration, and enhance the aspects of work people find most meaningful.

Motivation and Capability Drive Different Outcomes

The research identified two distinct drivers of adoption. Employees are more likely to explore AI when they feel psychologically safe, hold positive attitudes toward the technology, and perceive low threat to their professional identity. Frequent day-to-day usage, meanwhile, is most strongly linked to confidence using AI and belief that it improves work outcomes.

In other words, motivation and capability are separate challenges that require different solutions. What gets someone on board with AI is different from what deepens engagement.

Support Is Outpacing Readiness

A central finding of the study reveals organizational support appears to be ahead of individual readiness. Respondents generally report strong leadership encouragement and a culture that supports experimentation, yet only 47% feel confident in their own AI skills or prepared for the changes AI may bring (40%).

Training, role-specific use cases, and dedicated time to practice emerged as the most requested enablers of deeper adoption, pointing to a workforce that is culturally motivated but not yet fully equipped.

One Workforce, Three Distinct Mindsets

The study further identified three broad employee segments — AI Champions, Craft Anxious, and Willing but Struggling — underscoring organizations cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Effective AI adoption will require strategies tailored to different levels of confidence, capability, and concern.

Across the data, the findings suggest the future of AI adoption will depend less on access to technology and more on helping people develop the confidence, skills, and trust needed to use it effectively.