Agentic AI adopters expect quantum to shape marketing soon
A recent study has found that marketers already using agentic AI expect quantum computing to impact marketing within the next two years.
The study, conducted by SAS and Coleman Parkes, surveyed 300 organisations worldwide, including 160 in EMEA, with respondents from a variety of industry sectors and organisational sizes. It reveals that 31% of marketers using agentic AI anticipate quantum technology will influence marketing within two years, and 6% say it is already having an effect.
Understanding quantum
Quantum computing, distinguished from classical computing by its use of quantum mechanics and qbits that can represent multiple states simultaneously, has been considered a distant concept by most. However, the study indicates that organisations adopting agentic AI are becoming more familiar with quantum technology as they advance in their AI initiatives.
Only 16% of marketers overall state they understand quantum computing well. This figure increases significantly to 49% among those marketers who have already integrated agentic AI into their marketing programmes. The results suggest a strong relationship between AI maturity and awareness of future technology opportunities.
"It's no surprise that agentic AI adopters are already looking ahead to quantum computing," said Jonathan Moran, Head of Martech Solutions Marketing at SAS. "Having hundreds, if not thousands, of agents that will operate alongside organisational employees in an autonomous fashion will certainly require the computational power that quantum provides. With future agents creating audiences, analytical models, optimisation routines, AI-based decisions and journeys, concurrent customer recommendations, and even digital virtual environments - the need for what quantum provides will be significant in the coming years."
Roadmaps and readiness
The study shows that half (50%) of respondents classified as agentic AI adopters have included quantum computing in their digital or innovation roadmaps. This represents a shift towards long-term planning for advanced computational support, as organisations prepare for more complex autonomy in their operations.
In comparison, those respondents in the observer and planner categories, who have not yet adopted agentic AI but plan to do so either in the next year or two, generally expect to see quantum's impact on a longer timeline. This highlights a differing strategic urgency between early adopters and those at earlier stages of their AI journey.
Industry approaches
The potential impact of quantum computing varies across industries, with each sector identifying unique opportunities for application. In banking, 80% of respondents identified advanced predictive analysis as the primary opportunity for quantum. Within insurance, 69% of leaders highlighted real-time customer journey simulation, while 67% of respondents in life sciences are looking at hyper-personalisation at scale.
The public sector has shown above-average interest in synthetic data generation (29%) and dynamic pricing (27%). For small and medium sized businesses (SMBs), 20% see value in synthetic data generation through quantum computing, compared with 11% in larger enterprises.
Timeline expectations
The adoption horizon for quantum technology in marketing is significantly shorter among those already leveraging agentic AI. While nearly one third of agentic AI users expect the technology to have an impact within two years, and some report its current presence, many other marketers see quantum computing as something further off in the future.
Survey respondents were classified into groups based on their relationship to agentic AI: adopters, planners, and observers. Adopters are already using the technology, planners intend to integrate it within a year, and observers expect to do so within the next two years.
The research highlights the forward planning and infrastructure development undertaken by companies already investing in autonomy, and indicates a broadening awareness of quantum computing as a solution for coming challenges in marketing analytics, optimisation, and customer experience.
