2025
Industrial Technology Index

Aligning on AI to Address Evolving Priorities

After some uncertainty revealed in our 2024 report – when executives saw AI as a game-changer, but engineers were more hesitant – there is now shared understanding of AI’s opportunities and challenges.

While AI adoption is widespread, its application remains uneven across industries and regions, often limited to basic tasks in many organizations. This uneven adoption is compounded by gaps in training and upskilling programs, with 42% of organizations globally lacking formal AI training initiatives. At the same time, industries are increasingly leveraging AI for advanced innovation and sustainability efforts, demonstrating interest in using AI to unlock efficiencies and address critical challenges.

Since last year, the business and economic climate has also changed. This year’s survey shows that financial goals currently rank higher than sustainability goals as organizational priorities, reflecting the impact of mounting economic pressures. Yet in the face of these challenges, organizations can place AI at the center of more cohesive innovation strategies.

In the sections ahead, we will examine these dynamics in detail – exploring how organizations are navigating financial needs, leveraging AI for industry-specific challenges, and addressing sustainability barriers to drive meaningful innovation.