London, United Kingdom. PwC said three-quarters of AI’s economic gains are being captured by just 20% of companies, as leading businesses use the technology to drive growth rather than only improve productivity.
Study findings on AI value capture
PwC’s AI Performance study found that 74% of AI’s economic value is being captured by one-fifth of organisations, highlighting a widening gap between a small group of AI leaders and the majority of businesses still struggling to move beyond pilot projects.
Scope of the research
The global study interviewed 1,217 senior executives, mainly at large, publicly listed companies across 25 sectors, and examined revenue and efficiency gains companies are seeing from AI, as well as how they are deploying the technology.
How top performers are using AI
PwC found that top-performing companies are not simply using more AI tools, but treating AI as a catalyst for growth, business reinvention and new revenue opportunities, particularly as industries converge and companies move beyond traditional boundaries.
Differences between AI leaders and other firms
Leading companies are about two to three times more likely to use AI to identify and pursue growth opportunities and are more likely to reinvent their business models. PwC said they are also twice as likely to redesign workflows to incorporate AI, rather than adding AI tools to existing processes.
Industry convergence and performance
The research said AI leaders are 2.6 times as likely as their peers to report that AI improves their ability to reinvent their business model. They are also two to three times as likely as other companies to say they use AI to identify and pursue growth opportunities arising from industry convergence, including collaborating with partners outside their core sector. PwC’s analysis identified growth opportunities from industry convergence as the strongest factor influencing AI-driven financial performance, ahead of efficiency gains alone.
How is your organisation using AI to pursue growth opportunities beyond efficiency gains?