New research indicates that nearly one in three marketers already using agentic AI anticipate quantum computing will impact marketing within the next two years, with a smaller group stating these effects are already being felt.

A recent study from SAS and Coleman Parkes, titled Marketers and AI: Navigating New Depths, highlights the growing presence of quantum computing on the digital roadmaps of businesses implementing agentic AI. According to the findings, 31% of marketers using agentic AI expect quantum to play a significant role within two years, while 6% believe that quantum is already making its mark on marketing operations.

The research surveyed 300 organisations worldwide, encompassing both small and medium businesses (SMBs) and large enterprises that employ over 10,000 staff. Respondents were marketing professionals representing sectors including banking, insurance, life sciences, and the public sector.

While the understanding of quantum computing remains relatively low across the general marketing community – just 16% say they comprehend it well – this figure rises to 49% among marketers who have already adopted agentic AI. This disparity demonstrates a strong connection between the level of AI maturity within an organisation and the awareness of emerging, advanced technologies such as quantum computing.

Quantum computing processes information in fundamentally different ways to classical computers, leveraging quantum mechanics and using qbits, which can represent multiple states at once. This enables quantum machines to solve complex problems more quickly than traditional computers.

Future demand for computational power

Commenting on the findings, Jonathan Moran, Head of Martech Solutions Marketing at SAS, said:

“It’s no surprise that agentic AI adopters are already looking ahead to quantum computing. 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 study also suggests that agentic AI adopters are putting infrastructure in place to support quantum advancements, with 50% stating that quantum computing has already been incorporated into their organisations’ digital or innovation roadmaps. This indicates a trend of shifting from passive observation of quantum’s development to proactive, long-term planning for its integration.

Different timelines

While agentic AI adopters see a relatively short horizon for quantum adoption in marketing, other groups remain more cautious. Planners – those intending to deploy agentic AI within the next year – and Observers – aiming for a two-year timeframe – perceive longer lead times for quantum’s significance in their respective organisations. This difference underlines a strategic urgency and forward-looking approach among early adopters compared to their peers.

Industry applications

The study reveals considerable variation in quantum computing’s perceived use across industries. In banking, 80% of respondents highlight advanced predictive analytics as the foremost use case. Within insurance, 69% cite real-time customer journey simulation as a core opportunity. Professionals in life sciences identify hyper-personalisation at scale (67%), while public sector marketers point to synthetic data generation (29%) and dynamic pricing (27%) as areas of notable interest.

Interest in quantum is not limited to large organisations. SMBs appear particularly interested in synthetic data generation, with 20% anticipating benefits in this area compared with 11% of enterprise respondents. This suggests that quantum computing’s potential value may extend beyond the largest players and into the broader market.

The research supports the view that the more mature a company’s AI implementation is, the more prepared and aware it is of adjacent technologies such as quantum computing. As agentic AI becomes a feature of more marketing operations, understanding and planning for quantum may follow suit, especially among those organisations already viewing technology as central to their competitive strategy.