A survey released Thursday by Chief Outsiders, a Houston-based provider of services to mid-market companies, said that companies have made strides in AI adoption in their marketing, customer experience, and operations, but they tend to underinvest in strategic applications.
The report, titled “AI Maturity Assessment,” surveyed 237 CEOs and other C-suite executives regarding the application of AI in their organizations. The “AI Maturity Assessment” survey.
Even as a significant number of American companies are applying AI in marketing, customer experience, and operations, Ed Valdez, partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders, said, “executives aren’t aligning AI investments with their business goals and strategies, nor are they measuring its impact or adapting hiring and training practices that reflect its growing importance.
A significant number of companies (38%) report using AI to improve products and services to automate and enhance marketing processes and operations (37%), improve their customer experience (32%), and optimize operations (34%).
AI adoption is less common in automating and improving sales processes (26%). And while 38% of respondents use AI for product and service improvement, just 20% agree or strongly agree that they regularly use AI-curated data and insights to improve products and services. Likewise, only 20% say they use AI to enhance data-driven decision making.
The survey suggests a general lack of emphasis on strategic integration. Only 16% of respondents said they agree and 5% said they strongly agree with the statement: “We proactively prioritize the most important AI-driven technologies to invest in.”
The executives surveyed also indicate little concern for measuring the impacts of AI initiatives. Only 19% of respondents report tracking the effect that AI has on business transformation. The figure is even lower when the same question is asked about AI’s impact on the operating model (17%).
Talent management and acquisition also suggest a lack of AI utilization. Only 17% of companies proactively hire candidates with AI proficiency, although 32% do provide opportunities for staff to develop AI-related competencies.
“Companies that don’t embed the technology within their broader growth strategy will ultimately fail to realize the full value that AI can bring to their business, their employees, and their customers,” said Valdez. “We expect, however, to see significant leaps in operational efficiency and growth within the businesses that have made AI-maturity a strategic priority.”
The survey was conducted from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024, sampling 237 CEOs and C-suite leaders of American companies. The survey has a margin of error of ±6% and a confidence level of 95%.
The Murphy administration is convinced New Jersey can play a key role in the evolving AI economy. In March, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board approved the creation of the Next New Jersey Program – AI and the AI Innovation Challenge Administration Grant Program.
The Next New Jersey Program – AI will drive economic growth, collaboration, and the development of AI infrastructure across the state by providing tax credits to eligible businesses investing in AI data centers and companies involved in AI-related activities. The $500 million program leverages AI to stimulate innovation, boost productivity, and attract high-tech investments.
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