Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing how consumers discover products, evaluate brands, and engage with marketing content. New research from Validity suggests that while organizations are accelerating investments in AI-driven marketing initiatives, many are struggling to understand how consumers are actually using AI tools. The result is a widening gap between marketing strategies and evolving consumer behavior, particularly in email marketing, where AI-powered inbox experiences are changing how messages are consumed.

The rise of generative AI has sparked significant investment across the marketing technology ecosystem. From content creation and customer segmentation to campaign automation and predictive analytics, enterprises are increasingly embedding AI into their digital marketing infrastructure. However, new survey data from Validity indicates that marketers may be underestimating a more disruptive trend: consumers are also using AI to filter, summarize, and in some cases completely bypass brand communications.

The findings are based on responses from more than 500 U.S. marketers and 1,000 U.S. consumers. The study highlights a growing disconnect between how brands deploy AI and how audiences interact with AI-enhanced digital experiences.

One of the most notable findings centers on email engagement. According to the research, 55% of consumers now make decisions based solely on AI-generated email summaries rather than reading the full message. Within that group, some consumers skip opening emails altogether, while others delete messages after reviewing AI-generated previews.

This behavior introduces a new challenge for marketers. Traditional email metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and engagement signals were designed for a world where users directly interacted with inbox content. As AI assistants increasingly act as intermediaries, marketers may lose visibility into how campaigns influence customer decisions.

The trend also raises broader questions about discoverability in AI-powered environments. Just as search engine optimization evolved to address algorithm-driven search experiences, marketers may soon need strategies designed specifically for AI-curated content experiences.

The research suggests many organizations are not fully prepared for this transition. Nearly half of surveyed marketers reported having only a basic or limited understanding of how consumers use generative AI during product research and purchasing journeys. Meanwhile, 74% acknowledged they currently lack the tools needed to measure these AI-driven interactions.

That measurement gap could become increasingly problematic as agentic commerce gains momentum. Agentic AI systems—software agents capable of researching, evaluating, and potentially purchasing products on behalf of consumers—are expected to become a major area of innovation across digital commerce platforms. According to the survey, 44% of marketers believe agentic commerce will have a meaningful impact on their business within the next year.

The findings align with broader industry trends. Research from Gartner predicts that AI-powered assistants and autonomous agents will increasingly influence customer journeys, while enterprises invest heavily in AI-driven customer experience technologies. At the same time, organizations across the marketing technology landscape are exploring new approaches to measurement and attribution in AI-mediated environments.

Trust remains another critical challenge.

While marketers are rapidly adopting AI-generated content, consumers appear less enthusiastic about receiving it. The survey found that 40% of respondents would trust marketing emails less if they knew the content was generated by AI. Consumer skepticism extends beyond content creation. Concerns around data privacy, transparency, and responsible AI usage continue to shape perceptions of AI-powered marketing.

Interestingly, marketers and consumers appear to be focused on different risks. Marketers identified poor internal data quality as a major barrier to AI adoption, while consumers expressed concern about how personal data is collected, managed, and used within AI systems.

This divergence highlights a growing reality within enterprise marketing. AI effectiveness depends heavily on data quality, governance, and customer trust. Organizations that focus solely on automation without addressing transparency and data stewardship may face challenges as consumer awareness of AI increases.

The situation also reflects a broader shift occurring across the martech ecosystem. Major technology providers including Salesforce, Adobe, Microsoft, and Google are integrating generative AI capabilities into marketing automation, customer data platforms, and analytics solutions. As these technologies become standard components of enterprise marketing stacks, organizations will face increasing pressure to balance efficiency with customer trust.

Industry analysts have repeatedly emphasized that successful AI adoption depends on more than automation. According to research from IDC and McKinsey, organizations generating the highest returns from AI initiatives typically combine strong data foundations, governance frameworks, and measurable business outcomes with AI deployment.

For enterprise marketing teams, the message from the Validity research is clear: AI is no longer simply a content-generation tool. It is becoming an active participant in how consumers discover information, evaluate brands, and engage with marketing communications. Companies that understand this shift early may be better positioned to maintain visibility as AI increasingly sits between brands and customers.

As AI-generated summaries, intelligent inboxes, and autonomous digital assistants continue to evolve, marketers may need to rethink not only what content they create, but also how that content is interpreted, summarized, and presented by AI systems before consumers ever see the original message.

Market Landscape

The findings arrive at a pivotal moment for the marketing technology industry. According to Gartner, generative AI is among the fastest-adopted enterprise technologies in recent history, while IDC projects continued double-digit growth in AI software spending through the decade. The next competitive battleground may not be AI-generated marketing content itself, but visibility within AI-mediated customer experiences.

Organizations investing in email marketing, customer data platforms, marketing automation platforms, and AI marketing tools will increasingly require measurement frameworks capable of tracking interactions across AI-powered interfaces. This shift could create new opportunities for martech vendors focused on deliverability analytics, AI visibility monitoring, customer intelligence, and predictive engagement optimization.

Top Insights

• AI-generated email summaries are changing consumer behavior, with many users making inbox decisions before opening messages, creating new challenges for email marketers and engagement measurement platforms.
• Nearly half of marketers lack a strong understanding of AI-driven consumer discovery behavior despite increasing investment in generative AI and marketing automation technologies.
• Agentic commerce is emerging as a strategic priority, with organizations expecting autonomous AI systems to influence product discovery, evaluation, and purchasing decisions.
• Consumer trust remains fragile as brands expand AI-generated content initiatives, highlighting the need for transparency, data governance, and responsible AI marketing practices.
• Measurement and attribution gaps are becoming a significant concern as AI increasingly intermediates interactions between brands and customers across digital channels.

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