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- Only 5% of global firms derive meaningful returns from their AI investments, BCG says.Industries like software and fintech are getting it right. Fashion and real estate not so much.BCG says the winners excel by reshaping workflows and up-skilling talent.
AI is rapidly reshaping the business game, creating a few clear winners — and a stadium full of spectators.
According to a new report from Boston Consulting Group, only 5% of companies in its 2025 study of more than 1,250 global firms are seeing real returns on AI.
Meanwhile, 60% of companies have seen little to no benefit, reporting only minimal increases in revenue and cost savings despite making substantial investments.
BCG said that industries like software, telecommunications, and fintech have the highest levels of "AI maturity," which the firm defines as "the ability to create value at scale." Meanwhile, fashion and luxury, chemicals, and real estate and construction are lagging behind.
BCG found that sectors incorporating AI into their core business functions — R&D, sales and marketing, as well as manufacturing and IT — saw significant value gains from 2024 to 2025.
Amanda Luther, the global leader of AI and digital transformation at BCG, told Business Insider by email that "value" in the firm's report "refers primarily to measurable financial and operational impact — notably, revenue growth, cost reduction, and cash-flow improvements that translate into shareholder returns."
It also includes "productivity gains, process efficiencies, and innovation outcomes that improve decision-making, speed, and quality of execution across workflows," she said.
BCG describes the companies successfully planning for and adopting AI as "future-built companies," and says there are five traits that set them apart.
Their AI plans extend years into the future.
Companies succeeding at incorporating AI are equipped with leadership that's enthusiastic about the technology, and nearly all C-Suite leaders use it on a daily basis.
They are more likely to appoint a chief AI officer and a chief data officer to ensure AI is adopted across the company. These companies are also more likely to have a "model of co-ownership" between the business departments and IT, so that each group has autonomy and accountability for its actions.
They reshape and reinvent workflows.
BCG said that nearly 90% of future-built companies expect that most of the value they see from AI will come from "reshaping and inventing business processes."
This may include, for example, using AI vision models to monitor operations in a restaurant and generate reports on how to enhance service, efficiency, and operational performance.
These firms also track the value gains they see from AI. More than 60% of future-built firms "rigorously track AI value," BCG said.
They adopt an AI-first operating model.
BCG said firms should consider questions like "How do human and digital workers coexist with appropriate accountability in hybrid structures?" or "Where will humans continue to provide distinctive value in reshaped workflows?"
Companies that use AI effectively are more likely to engage in "strategic workforce planning" than their counterparts and are more likely to have a solid grasp of AI governance.
Luther said that "strategic workforce planning refers to proactively aligning talent strategy with AI transformation goals, including forecasting skills needs, identifying roles likely to evolve through automation, and building or redeploying capabilities accordingly."
They secure and then develop talent.
At companies successfully adopting AI, 50% of employees are expected to be upskilled in AI by the end of this year — compared to just 20% at lagging firms. Future-built companies are also more likely to dedicate time to structured learning.
These companies "involve the workforce twice as often as others do in reshaping workflows as they build, test, and deploy agents."
They build a strong tech architecture and data foundation.
Companies that rely on a mix of pre-built AI technology along with customized options are getting the most value from AI, BCG says. These companies are more likely to implement enterprise-wide data policies managed by central oversight teams — ensuring data quality, trust, and responsible use, BCG says.
