June 08, 2022

More Than 60% of Companies Are Only Experimenting with AI, Creating Significant Opportunities for Value on their Journey to AI Maturity, Accenture Research Finds


NEW YORK; June 8, 2022 – While the majority of organizations that use artificial intelligence (AI) are still experimenting with the technology, only 12% are using it at an AI maturity level that achieves a strong competitive advantage, according to new global research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).

“The Art of AI Maturity: Advancing from Practice to Performance” uncovers strategies for AI success through a holistic framework, which includes a new index to express company AI maturity on a 0-100 scale. According to the research, AI maturity is the degree to which organizations outperform their peers in a combination of AI-related foundational and differentiating capabilities. These capabilities include the technology — data, AI, cloud — as well as organizational strategy, Responsible AI, C-suite sponsorship, talent and culture.

The research puts the median AI maturity of organizations at a moderate score of 36, revealing most companies have significant opportunities to generate greater value with AI. The research highlights a small group (12%) of organizations that already use AI to outpace their competitors. This group is dubbed AI Achievers, with a score of 64 on the maturity scale, almost doubling that of others and correlating with 50% higher revenue growth than their peers.

The analysis further shows that most companies (63%) are AI Experimenters, barely scratching the surface of AI’s potential with an AI maturity score of 29. AI Innovators (13%), scoring 50, and AI Builders (12%), at 44, are somewhat advanced in their level of AI maturity, but are still leaving the full value of AI untapped.


“We believe every part of every business must be transformed by technology, data and AI, in some cases resulting in total enterprise reinvention,” said Sanjeev Vohra, global lead for Applied Intelligence at Accenture. “AI Achievers are showing their peers what’s possible when you release the full potential of talent and technology, working in tandem, supported by a clear vision and commitment to change. But even this most mature group has plenty of room for growth. And while most industries have AI Achievers, they vary greatly in how AI-mature they are overall and the leaps they will make.”


Examples for the current and projected future state of AI maturity by industry include the following:

Regardless of industry, the impact of AI on businesses is growing and accelerating. The world’s largest companies that discussed AI on their earnings calls in 2021 were 40% more likely to see their share prices increase — up from 23% in 2018. Moreover, investments in AI are on the rise. In 2021, 19% of the surveyed companies used more than 30% of their tech budgets for AI projects. By 2024, the percentage of organizations investing more than 30% of their tech budgets in AI will increase to 49%.

Subsequently, the machine learning models utilized for the research suggest that the share of AI Achievers will increase rapidly from the current 12% to 27% by 2024. In the same timeframe, the overall AI maturity score will rise from 36 today to 50.

“Adopting AI at scale and embedding it deeper in all aspects of business is no longer a choice, but a necessity and opportunity facing every industry, organization and leader,” Vohra said. “While the science of AI is ground-breaking and inspiring, harnessing it fully is an art that leaders must continually practice. Our report provides actionable recommendations for how to advance AI maturity to join the ranks of the AI Achievers.”

About the Research
The research, titled “The Art of AI Maturity: Advancing from Practice to Performance” is based on financial and non-financial data of 1,176 firms that use AI and survey data from 1,615 executives, conducted August – September 2021, in 16 industries (Aerospace & Defense; Automotive; Consumer Goods & Services; Chemicals; Energy; Financial Services; Healthcare; Industrial Equipment; Life Sciences; Natural Resources; Public Services; Retail; Technology; Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment; Travel & Transport; Utilities) and 15 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK, US). The data fed into machine learning models, which determined companies’ performance across a set of AI-related capabilities — primarily “foundational” capabilities, which companies need to compete on AI, and primarily “differentiation” capabilities, which give companies a competitive edge with AI. Results of the two models were combined into a single index that measures AI maturity on a scale of 0-100. A detailed description of the methodology and sample can be found in the appendix of the research report (available for download here).

About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 699,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners, and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

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Accenture
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Accenture
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