Week of June 8, 2026
AI skepticism decreases with higher AI maturity
Data shows that the more you use AI, the less you question it.
39%
Nearly 4 in 10 Beginners are skeptical of AI, a number that gets cut in half by Intermediate and drops to zero by Expert level.
Source: ActiveCampaign AI Maturity Quiz
“Most people form opinions about AI before they’ve used it. My perspective only shifted once I started using it regularly. Confidence doesn’t come from understanding AI—it comes from interacting with it enough to see where it actually delivers value.”
Maddy Osman, Digital Ocean and The Blogsmith
Analysis
What the numbers actually mean.
The least skeptical marketers aren't the boldest. They're the most experienced.
Skepticism tracks almost perfectly with how little someone has used AI. Stanford’s 2025 AI Index found that optimism about AI has grown the most in countries that were previously the most skeptical; the pattern holds at every level. The gap between a Beginner and an Advanced user isn't talent or budget, it's reps.
The most meaningful drop isn't the first one. It's the second.
The biggest single decline is Beginner to Developing (39% to 28%), but skepticism gets cut in half at Developing to Intermediate. That's where hands-on experience starts replacing guessed expectations.
Skepticism is a phase most marketers are already moving through.
At Beginner, 4 in 10 doubt whether AI is worth it. At Advanced, that's down to 14%. The pattern is consistent at every level: the more you use it, the less you question it.
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Related
More data from the AI Lab.
