Despite the rise of AI, 59% of marketers say admin has increased in the last three years

London, UK, 28 October 2026 — Despite the growing use of AI in marketing, almost six in 10 (59%) marketers say the amount of admin they deal with has increased over the last three years, with almost a third (31%) saying it has increased dramatically. 

That’s according to research from Optimizely, which surveyed 1,000 consumers and 100 marketers in the UK to understand the pressures facing marketing teams and how the growing use of AI is affecting the way they work. 

While AI has the potential to take more manual tasks off marketers’ hands, many are still struggling to see the benefits in their day-to-day work. Almost two-thirds (65%) say their teams feel more stretched since work was outsourced to AI, while more than half (54%) say using AI can often create more work than it saves. 

Even with these challenges, marketers remain optimistic about the technology. More than a third (38%) plan to invest in more AI assistants over the next 12 months, while 43% identify better integration between AI and existing marketing tools as the biggest opportunity to improve efficiency. 

"AI is helping marketers work faster and take on tasks that would previously have eaten into their time," said Tara Corey, SVP, Marketing at Optimizely. "But many teams are finding that the time AI saves in one place is lost in another. When marketers are already stretched, AI should be making their work easier, not adding another layer of complexity. 

"Marketers need AI that works with the platforms and processes they rely on every day, so it takes admin off their plates. That's what will give teams the time to focus on the strategic and creative work that makes a real difference to their customers."