As agentic AI moves from theory to practice, a new frontier is emerging – and some marketers are staking their claim. Quantum computing, once considered distant and academic, is now appearing on the innovation roadmaps of forward-thinking organisations.
Unsurprisingly, early adopters of agentic AI in marketing are the ones leading the charge into quantum computing according to a new study from SAS and Coleman Parkes Marketers and AI: Navigating New Depths.
While the study finds that just 16% of marketers overall say they understand quantum computing well, that number jumps to 49% among those marketers that are already utilising agentic AI in their marketing programmes. This leap in familiarity reflects a broader trend: as organisations mature in their AI journey, they become more attuned to adjacent, future-facing technologies like quantum.
Quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process information using qbits, which can represent multiple states simultaneously. It can solve complex problems much faster than classical computing.
“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.”
The Quantum Advantage: Built on AI Maturity
Agentic AI adopters aren’t just experimenting with autonomy – they’re building the infrastructure to support what comes next. Half (50%) of agentic AI adopters have already incorporated quantum computing into their digital or innovation roadmaps. This signals a shift from passive monitoring to long-term planning as the need for underlying technology to support further AI maturity increases.
A Shorter Horizon for Adopters
While most marketers still see quantum as a long-term possibility, agentic AI adopters are more ambitious. Just under a third (31%) expect quantum to impact marketing within two years, and 6% say it’s already happening.
In contrast, respondents in the study who were classified as observers and planners foresee a longer timeline – highlighting the strategic urgency and future-focus that sets adopters apart. Adopters are already using agentic AI, Planners intend to within the next year, and Observers intend to within the next two years.
Notable Differences Across Industries
As quantum computing moves from theoretical to operational, organisations across industries are beginning to envision its most promising applications.
In banking advanced predictive analysis stands out as the top opportunity (80%).
Insurance leaders are eyeing real-time customer journey simulation (69%), while life sciences professionals are focused on hyper-personalisation at scale (67%).
The public sector shows above-average interest in synthetic data generation (29%) and dynamic pricing (27%).
SMBs also see value in quantum with 20% likely to see benefits in synthetic data generation – compared
with 11% in enterprises.
The report is based on a new survey of 300 organisations worldwide, including 160 in EMEA, ranging from SMBs to enterprises with 10,000+ employees. The respondents are marketers who work at organisations across a range of industry sectors.
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