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Research note · Dentsu Creative

Dentsu: 92% of APAC CMOs want agencies to be open about how they use AI

Dentsu Creative’s 2026 CMO report found 92% of APAC CMOs want more transparency about how agencies use AI, and 93% expect agencies to show how AI improves impact. CMOs want speed and results from AI – and to know where it’s been used.

By the Tonic The Agency team

Key findings

  • 92%of APAC CMOs want more transparency about how agencies use AI.
  • 93%expect agencies to show how AI improves impact.
  • 70%of CMOs globally say they have not yet seen major cost efficiencies from AI.
  • 83%of CMOs globally say hearing from real customers is more important than ever in a world of automation.

What it means

CMOs aren’t asking agencies to avoid AI. They’re asking to know where it was used, who checked the work and what it changed. That’s a fair question, and the answer should be easy to give.

The 70% figure is a useful reality check: AI speeds work up, but savings depend on changing the process, not just adding tools.

What to do next

  1. Ask your agencies where AI is used on your account, and who reviews the output.
  2. Ask for AI’s impact in your terms – time to market, testing volume, results – rather than tool lists.
  3. If you have an AI policy, share it and ask agencies to confirm they work within it.

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