From AI adoption to enterprise advantage
Data, context, and business reimagination define AI Leaders in 2026
96%
say scaling AI is very or extremely important this year
60%+
average increase in AI budgets planned for the year ahead
4 in 10
companies report agentic AI is past the pilot stage
76%
believe they're ahead on AI. Only 10% actually are.
Six takeaways every executive needs to know
The 2026 Enterprise AI Study surveyed 322 executives on how they’re using AI. These six findings are a small sample of the insights contained in the full report. Download the complete study to get a full breakdown into who’s leading, who’s lagging, and what should be your AI agenda for the upcoming year.
The 2026 Enterprise AI Study surveyed 322 executives on how they’re using AI. These six findings are a small sample of the insights contained in the full report. Download the complete study to get a full breakdown into who’s leading, who’s lagging, and what should be your AI agenda for the upcoming year.
01
<p><strong>The pilot era is over. </strong><br>96% of companies say scaling AI is critical, and average budgets have more than tripled in some industries. The race has shifted from experimentation to enterprise-wide execution.</p>
02
<p><strong>Perception is dangerously off.</strong><br>76% of companies believe they're ahead of competitors on AI. Only 10% actually qualify as Leaders. The gap between confidence and competence is widening.</p>
03
<p><strong>Agentic AI is the new edge. </strong><br>Four in ten companies have agentic AI past pilot. Leaders are using it to redesign work itself, not just boost productivity. One firm achieved 85% invoice matching and 50% faster processing.</p>
04
<p><strong>Data still decides winners. </strong><br>70% cite data as their #1 AI barrier. 83% of laggards still have data siloed by function. Leaders have built enterprise-wide data foundations, and it shows in their results.</p>
05
<p><strong>Operating models must change. </strong><br>Leaders aren't adapting old ways of working. They're redesigning enterprise operating models around AI, treating AI as the foundation rather than an overlay.</p>
06
<p><strong>Leaders pull ahead financially.</strong><br>AI Leaders report 26% cost reduction, 27% revenue lift, and 22% margin improvement. Laggards trail across every financial dimension, and the gap continues to widen.</p>
Our research identified what separates AI Leaders from the rest.
AI Leaders · 10% of companies
What they do
- Fully developed AI capabilities in 6–8 of 8 core business functions
- Redesigned the entire enterprise operating model around AI
- 44% have data accessible enterprise-wide, free from silos
- 91% rate themselves as best-practice or leading-edge on data management
- Achieve 26% cost reduction, 27% revenue lift, 22% margin gain
- Use agentic AI to redesign work, not just speed it up
Laggards · 25% of companies
Where they're stuck
- AI capabilities in 2 or fewer business functions
- Still adapting traditional operating models to AI requirements
- 83% still have data trapped in functional silos
- 61% can't access data quickly enough for timely AI decisions
- Trail Leaders by 15–25 points on cost, revenue, and margin impact
- Treat agentic AI as a productivity tool, not a transformation lever
Five imperatives for executives
These priorities will separate tomorrow’s AI winners from the competition.
- 01<p><strong>Stop measuring pilots</strong> <br>Track workflow adoption and business outcomes, not POCs.</p>
- 02<p><strong>Treat data like core infrastructure</strong><br>Quality and access to enterprise data defines AI Leaders.</p>
- 03<p><strong>Redesign your operating model</strong><br>AI transformation needs business reimagination – go beyond just adapting processes.</p>
- 04<p><strong>Build enterprise AI governance</strong> <br>AI needs executive sponsorship and accountability.</p>
- 05<p><strong>Unlock value with context</strong> <br>To truly work, AI needs understanding of how workflows operate, regulations, and human expertise.</p>
The next AI winners will transform first.
The complete 2026 EXL Enterprise AI study contains all the findings,
benchmarks, case studies, and strategies for executives to succeed with AI.
Download the report to get these and more insights.