Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the business landscape, reshaping how organizations drive revenue, engage with customers, and streamline operations. To better understand how companies are leveraging AI, we conducted a comprehensive survey of 200 people in businesses across a variety of industries. This survey sheds light on where organizations stand in their AI journey, the challenges they face, and the opportunities they are looking to capitalize on. Here are some of the key findings.
Our AI Strategy Survey gathered insights from professionals across the United States, focusing on participants that work at companies with 50 to 1,000 employees, reflecting a mix of small to mid-sized organizations. The survey targeted individuals in key sectors such as Sales, Finance, Banking, Insurance, Consulting, and Business Services. All respondents hold managerial roles, providing a strategic perspective on how AI is being adopted and prioritized within their organizations. This demographic ensures the survey captures actionable insights from decision-makers at the heart of AI implementation efforts.
When asked about their current AI strategy, 61% of respondents indicated that they have a formalized AI strategy in place today. However, 39% of companies do not yet have a defined approach, highlighting the varying levels of AI adoption across organizations.
AI adoption varies widely depending on organizational priorities. According to the survey:
Revenue teams are at the forefront of AI adoption, with tools designed to enhance productivity and decision-making. The most commonly deployed tools include:
Not surprisingly, Chat GPT was the most commonly used tool. There are a few key reasons why that is; ease of use, low cost (and free option), no implementation required, and vast number of problem-solving use cases. Overall, AI tools are helping teams close deals faster, improve forecasting accuracy, and create more personalized customer experiences.
Businesses are eager to tackle a variety of challenges using AI. According to our survey:
Other areas of interest include social media, web development, and customer service, showcasing the broad potential of AI to solve critical pain points.
Despite the enthusiasm for AI, several barriers still hinder widespread adoption:
These barriers highlight the need for a higher understanding of how AI tools work, how the data is used, and how they're implemented to accelerate adoption and justify the ROI.
The results of our AI Strategy Survey reveal that while many organizations are embracing AI, others are still in the early stages of their journey. As AI continues to evolve, companies must address barriers to adoption, align their strategies with organizational goals, and focus on measurable outcomes.
At Cirrus Insight, we have recently launched our own AI tool, Meeting AI, that automates pre-meeting research by supplying comprehensive insights on companies and contacts ahead of scheduling meetings, to maximize the impact of customer meetings.