According to Accenture, in 2021, among executives of the world's 2,000 largest companies (by market capitalization), those who discussed artificial intelligence (AI) on their earnings calls were 40% more likely to see their firms' share prices increase—up from 23% in 2018. Yet the most recent Accenture research suggests that only 12% of companies have advanced their AI maturity enough to achieve "superior growth" and business transformation. On average, 12% of "AI achievers" attribute 30% of their total revenue to AI.
What is AI Maturity?
AI maturity, according to Accenture, measures the degree to which organizations have mastered AI-related capabilities in the right combination to achieve high performance for customers, shareholders, and employees.
AI maturity, the company said, comes down to mastering a set of key capabilities in the right combinations—not only in data and AI but also in organizational strategy, talent and culture. This includes "foundational" AI capabilities—such as cloud platforms and tools, data platforms, architecture and governance—that are required to keep pace with competitors. It also includes "differentiation" AI capabilities, such as AI strategy and C-suite sponsorship, combined with a culture of innovation that can set companies apart.
There are four types of companies with respect to AI maturity:
- AI Achievers—Show advanced AI maturity enough to achieve "superior growth" and business transformation
- AI Builders—Show strong foundational capabilities and average differentiation capabilities
- AI Innovators—Show strong differentiation capabilities and average foundational capabilities
- AI Experimenters—Those with average capabilities in both categories; these make up the majority (63%) of those surveyed
Achievers, Builders, and Innovators collectively represent just 37% of surveyed organizations. Achievers accounted for 12%, Builders for 12% and Innovators for 13%.
Read the full story here.