Last updated 20 January 2026
The L1 to L5 Autonomy Model: Measuring AI Marketing Maturity
How mature is your AI marketing? Not “how many tools do you have” but “how autonomously do your systems run?”
I developed the L1 to L5 Autonomy Model to answer this question. It’s a maturity framework that measures the degree of human involvement in AI marketing systems, from L1 (humans do everything) to L5 (AI determines strategy from goals).
What’s Covered
The Framework
The L1 to L5 Autonomy Model measures how much human involvement your AI marketing requires. It’s adapted from two sources: SAE International’s L0-L5 framework for autonomous vehicles (the industry standard for discussing machine autonomy), and University of Washington research that adapted autonomy levels for AI agents.
I combined both frameworks to create a model specifically for AI marketing systems. The question it answers: how does an Operator know what level of orchestration each workflow requires?
Autonomy isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about moving humans from execution to oversight. At L1, you write the email. At L3, you approve the email. At L5, you set the goal and review results.
The Five Levels
Each level represents a different relationship between human and AI in marketing workflows.
| Level | Name | Description | Example | Feasibility (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | Prompt Assistant | Single prompts, human reviews all output | “Write 5 email subject lines” | Widely available |
| L2 | Workflow Automation | Chained prompts with conditional logic | Brief → draft → SEO check → schedule | Available with setup |
| L3 | Supervised Autonomy | AI executes workflows, human approves key decisions | AI drafts campaign; marketer approves before publishing | Emerging |
| L4 | Guided Autonomy | AI proposes and executes within guardrails | AI adjusts ad spend within budget limits | Early adoption |
| L5 | Goal-Based Orchestration | AI determines strategy from objectives | “Increase MQLs 20%” → AI selects channels, content, timing | Frontier |
Understanding Each Level
L1: Prompt Assistant. This is where most teams start. You open ChatGPT, write a prompt, get output, review it, edit it, use it. The AI is a tool; you’re doing the work. According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 88% of organizations have adopted AI but only 6% are high performers seeing attributable business impact.
L2: Workflow Automation. Multiple prompts chain together with logic. A brief triggers a draft, which triggers an SEO check, which triggers scheduling. Tools like Zapier and Make enable this, but humans still review every output.
L3: Supervised Autonomy. The AI executes entire workflows; humans approve key decisions. This is the target state for most teams in 2025 to 2026. You’re not writing the email; you’re approving it.
L4: Guided Autonomy. AI proposes and executes within guardrails you set. “Spend up to $500/day on ads, target these audiences, optimize for conversions.” The AI makes decisions within boundaries.
L5: Goal-Based Orchestration. You give the AI an objective (“Increase MQLs by 20%”), and it determines strategy: which channels, what content, when to publish, how to optimize. This is frontier technology.
2025 Evidence
Where is the market today? According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 23% of organizations are scaling agentic AI systems in at least one business function, with an additional 39% experimenting. But most scaling efforts occur in only one or two functions.
| Level | 2025 Evidence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| L3 | Google’s AI Max manages bidding, targeting, and ad creation within a unified campaign structure | System executes; human approves campaign launch |
| L4 | Braze’s acquisition of OfferFit for $325M signals arrival of true L4 systems | AI optimizes messaging within brand guardrails |
| L5 | Still largely theoretical for marketing; exists in narrow domains like algorithmic trading | Full marketing strategy from objectives |
Gartner’s October 2025 research found 45% of AI agent implementations don’t meet expectations. Half cite technical stack readiness. Half cite talent gaps. This is the Pile of Parts Problem in action. BCG’s 2025 research confirms only 5% of companies are “future-built” and generating substantial AI value at scale.
Where Are You?
Use this diagnostic to assess your current autonomy level. Be honest. Most teams overestimate.
| Question | If Yes → You’re At |
|---|---|
| Do you use AI only for single prompts (writing, ideation)? | L1 |
| Do you have automated workflows that chain AI tasks? | L2 |
| Does AI execute campaigns while you approve before publishing? | L3 |
| Does AI make and execute decisions within guardrails you set? | L4 |
| Does AI determine strategy from goals you provide? | L5 |
If your team’s primary AI use is “I ask ChatGPT to write things and then I edit them,” you’re at L1. That’s not a criticism. It’s where most organizations are. The question is: do you want to stay there?
How to Progress
Moving up the autonomy ladder requires three things. Missing any one blocks progress.
| Requirement | Why It’s Needed | Without It |
|---|---|---|
| Operator Function | Someone must design the system architecture | Tools remain disconnected; no one builds workflows |
| Connected Data Layer | AI needs data to flow between systems | Integration Tax consumes all productivity gains |
| Clear Guardrails | AI needs boundaries to operate within | Risk of uncontrolled actions; stakeholder trust erodes |
BCG’s 2025 AI research found that the quarter of executives who created significant value did so by focusing on a small set of AI initiatives and scaling them swiftly. The trap: trying to move all workflows to L3 at once.
As Harvard Business Review noted, “AI won’t replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.” The Autonomy Model shows what “with AI” actually means: progressively moving from doing the work to designing the systems that do the work.
For the complete framework, see the AI Marketing Framework. For the role that drives progression, see The Operator Function.
FAQ
What is the L1 to L5 Autonomy Model?
The L1 to L5 Autonomy Model is a maturity framework for AI marketing systems. It measures the degree of human involvement from L1 (Prompt Assistant where humans create and review everything) to L5 (Goal-Based Orchestration where AI determines strategy from objectives). It’s adapted from SAE International’s autonomous vehicle framework.
What level are most marketing teams at?
Most marketing teams are stuck at L1, using ChatGPT for single prompts like “Write 5 email subject lines.” According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 88% of organizations have adopted AI but only 6% are AI High Performers. The majority haven’t progressed beyond using AI as a prompt assistant.
What is the realistic target for most teams?
L3 (Supervised Autonomy) is the realistic target for most teams in 2025 to 2026. At L3, AI executes workflows while humans approve key decisions. Google’s AI Max and similar tools represent L3 capabilities. L4 and L5 are emerging but not yet mainstream.
How do I progress from L1 to L3?
Progress requires three things: an Operator to design the system architecture, connected tools that share data (avoiding the Pile of Parts Problem), and clear guardrails for what AI can do autonomously. Start by identifying one workflow to move from L1 to L2, prove value, then expand.
What’s the difference between L4 and L5?
L4 (Guided Autonomy) means AI proposes and executes within guardrails, like adjusting ad spend within budget limits. L5 (Goal-Based Orchestration) means AI determines strategy from objectives, like “Increase MQLs 20%” and AI selects channels, content, and timing autonomously. L5 is frontier technology.
How does the Autonomy Model relate to ROI measurement?
Each autonomy level has different ROI metrics. L1 measures time saved per task. L3 measures workflow efficiency and output quality. L5 measures goal achievement. Moving a workflow from L1 to L3 is a permanent capability gain that compounds over time.