Few Companies Realize Measurable Value from AI

A new report by Fast Company in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) found that only about seven percent of companies are successfully generating measurable value from artificial intelligence. The majority of businesses are either scaling AI with moderate returns, piloting initiatives without scaling, or are in the early stages of experimentation.

Across 380 surveyed C-level executives, return on investment (ROI) remains a significant challenge for 39 percent of companies aiming to become AI-native. The report emphasizes that simply using AI as a tool on top of traditional processes is insufficient; true transformation requires reengineering entire workflows.

Leading companies that derive substantial value from AI typically deploy it across multiple mission-critical systems and have redesigned their processes. They also have structured models for human-AI collaboration. Furthermore, these successful companies tend to provide broader AI access to their employees, unlike many others where access remains limited.

Data quality, governance, and infrastructure limitations are cited as major barriers to AI adoption by 30 percent of leaders. Only seven percent of executives do not consider ROI a challenge. For example, Mastercard has improved its fraud prevention by 300 percent through AI.