Only 13% of enterprises lead in AI. Explore the four strategies driving their success, and how your organization can close the gap and scale with confidence.
While 87% of companies are still deciding how to run their AI pilots, a small but powerful group of leaders have already embedded AI into their core operations. These organizations are no longer just ahead — they’re accelerating at a pace that others may struggle to match.
In our latest global survey of 1,420 technology decision-makers across 10 countries and industries, we found that just 13% of companies emerged as true AI leaders. These organizations have integrated AI across the enterprise and aligned it with their business strategy. The results? A widening gap in performance, value and future-readiness.
The performance divide is staggering
The data reveals two very different realities. A small group of AI leaders (13%) has scaled AI across their operations and is reaping measurable returns. The others (87%) remain in pilot mode, still searching for proof of value.
Further, 64% of AI leaders report significant ROI from AI initiatives — nearly twice the rate of other organizations (33%). This isn’t incremental progress; it’s a step-change in impact.
Also, some AI leaders have also embedded AI deeply into their business. While many companies remain stuck in pilot mode, 91% of AI leaders have integrated AI into customer experience and product development. Only 32% of other firms can say the same.
And AI leaders are using AI agents for a competitive edge. Among them, 77% have agents in production and are scaling their use. Just 24% of other organizations have reached that point. These agents aren’t simple chatbots — they’re autonomous systems driving measurable outcomes.
As one survey respondent, the head of business intelligence at a healthcare company, explained, “AI helps us run operations, forecast demand and reduce waste. It’s not a side project — it’s driving long-term growth, innovation and impact.”
The four pillars of AI leadership
What separates AI leaders from the 87% still navigating early-stage implementation? The research points to four foundational strategies that define how they invest, integrate, measure and prepare their workforce for AI success.
- Invest boldly
AI leaders don’t wait for certainty. They move decisively. While the average company invested $2.5 million in AI and machine learning last year, AI leaders plan to spend $8.7 million in 2025. That’s nearly four times the average.
For AI leaders, every dollar invested is aimed at accelerating tangible business outcomes. It’s a strategic move to accelerate progress. Ninety-four percent plan to increase their AI budgets over the next five years, compared to 83% of others. They understand that early momentum fuels lasting advantage.
- Integrate deeply
For AI leaders, AI isn’t an overlay; it’s a core capability. They embed it into operations where it drives performance, speed and scalability.
Their infrastructure choices reflect this mindset. Over half (52%) of AI leaders use hybrid cloud strategies to run AI where it works best, balancing the flexibility of public cloud with the control of private environments. That flexibility leads to faster deployment, deeper integration and stronger ROI.
- Measure outcomes judiciously
AI leaders build and buy solutions based on outcomes, not ideology. They take a balanced approach to solution development, splitting investments roughly 50/50 between in-house development and third-party solutions.
AI leaders also track the metrics that matter, and they do so more consistently than other organizations. Compared to their peers, they are:
- 15% more likely to measure ROI
- 10% more likely to track innovation and market impact
- 9% more likely to monitor customer satisfaction and NPS
This disciplined focus on measurement nearly doubles the likelihood of reporting substantial business benefits from AI.
- Empower your workforce dynamically
Technology only works when people are ready to use it. Seventy-six percent of AI leaders say their teams have the skills and training needed to work with AI, compared to just 42% of other companies.
But it’s not just about capability; it’s also about confidence. AI leaders take the time to communicate clearly with their employees, addressing concerns and showing how AI helps reduce low-value tasks and opens up more strategic work.
As one survey respondent, the head of product at a financial services company, explained, “When we introduced AI, people were naturally cautious. But once it was embedded into our processes, the reaction flipped. In areas like operations and compliance, it’s taken pressure off the team.”
The acceleration effect
The advantage AI leaders hold isn’t static; it continues to build. Each success fuels bigger investments, which then drive broader adoption and stronger results. This creates a virtuous cycle that’s difficult to interrupt.
Meanwhile, organizations stuck in pilot phases often face a different loop. Without scale, there’s no clear ROI. Without ROI, there’s no business case for scaling.
AI leaders also gain momentum from their infrastructure. Their hybrid cloud strategies allow them to scale quickly as new models and use cases emerge. While others debate architecture, they’re already deploying next-gen AI agents across operations.
Beyond the hype: real business transformation
AI leaders see AI as a strategic driver of growth and competitiveness, instead of simply a tool for automation. Eighty-seven percent see AI as a core competitive advantage, not just an automation tool. For them, it is as part of a mindset that’s reshaping how they operate and compete.
These organizations aren’t replacing people — they’re elevating them. AI takes on repetitive, rules-based tasks, while teams focus on innovation, decision-making and strategy. The result is a more agile, more empowered workforce.
Looking ahead, AI leaders already have clear priorities:
- 19% are investing in cybersecurity and threat detection
- 18% are optimizing processes through automation
- 17% are building fully autonomous decision systems
The widening gap
The most urgent takeaway? This gap is growing — and fast . AI leaders aren’t just ahead; they’re pulling further away each quarter.
That distance creates a new competitive reality. Traditional differentiators, like customer service, supply chain efficiency or pricing power, are becoming obsolete when competitors can optimize, forecast and respond in real time.
Every quarter of delay deepens the divide. A 64% ROI advantage doesn’t just hold steady; it multiplies.
What this means for your organization
AI leaders are proving that business advantage now depends on AI maturity. The question isn’t whether AI will reshape your industry; it’s whether you’ll help lead that change or be forced to react to it.
Our full report, The AI Acceleration Gap: Why Some Enterprises Are Surging Ahead, explores the strategies, investments and decisions that separate the 13% from the rest. Download it today to benchmark your AI readiness and uncover a roadmap for enterprise-wide adoption.
|
Download the 2025 Global AI Report |