Business Technology Roundtable

The Applied-AI Requirement, Seen from My Own Desk A few months ago, I began evaluating a paid license from some of the leading AI providers on the assumption that my advisory work would eventually outgrow the free AI app tiers. It has not happened yet. Each time I approached the point of subscribing, a new free or entry-level release arrived that adequately covered what I actually needed: drafting, research synthesis, and editorial refinement.  My requirements were never exotic. They were representative of a large share of knowledge work, which is precisely the point. This is not a story about frugality. It is a story about an AI capability moving target. The capability that once justified a premium license a year ago is now embedded in the free tier of the same provider, or matched by a competitor's low-cost model. Independent benchmark trackers have shown the performance gap between open and proprietary models narrowing from double digits to less than one percentage point within ...

To date, the dominant narrative around artificial intelligence (AI) in business was one of cautious optimism shadowed by disappointment. Organizations launched pilots, generated buzz, and then quietly shelved initiatives that failed to scale. That narrative is changing. The World Economic Forum (WEF) inaugural MINDS report, produced in collaboration with Accenture, offers one of the most comprehensive snapshots yet of what successful, real-world Applied-AI adoption actually looks like. The findings are instructive, occasionally surprising, and carry clear strategic lessons for any organization still searching for the bridge between experimentation and ROI impact. The Scale of What is Happening The MINDS program drew applications from over 30 countries spanning every major region, with participation cutting across industries from energy and healthcare to financial services and advanced manufacturing. Information technology (IT) accounted for nearly one-third of all submissions, but what...

The generative AI (GenAI) wave that began with ChatGPT's arrival in late 2022 has already started to feel like yesterday's story. A recent TBR research report on the Applied-AI and GenAI market landscape makes one thing clear: the industry is pivoting fast, and the companies that fail to adapt to agentic AI will find themselves playing catch-up in a market that rewards those who move decisively. For the uninitiated, agentic AI refers to systems that don't just respond to prompts but actively plan, execute, and iterate across complex multi-step workflows with minimal human intervention. This is no longer a futurist talking point. It is reshaping how enterprises think about automation, how IT service firms price their work, and how hyperscalers compete for the next trillion dollars in technology spending. A Market Growing at Breakneck Speed The numbers alone make a compelling case for attention. TBR estimates that combined AI and GenAI revenue across major hyperscalers, inclu...

The global transition toward artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a critical juncture, marking a fundamental move from theoretical exploration to the large-scale implementation of Applied AI Initiatives . Applied artificial intelligence refers specifically to the practical deployment of AI technologies and methodologies to resolve discrete real-world challenges and generate measurable organizational value.  Unlike theoretical AI research, which prioritizes the advancement of fundamental science and the exploration of hypothetical machine intelligence, Applied-AI is strictly purpose-driven and practical implementation-oriented. Success in this domain is no longer measured by academic citations or AI lab breakthroughs, but by business impact, operational efficiency, and tangible societal outcomes. Between 2023 and 2025, Applied-AI consistently maintained the highest innovation scores among emerging technologies and ranked in the top five for global investment activity. As the ind...

Many CEOs say their company is all-in on AI. Every one of their earnings calls touts AI integration. Their strategy deck features the words AI-powered a dozen times. Yet when I review these same organizations, I encounter a starkly different reality: employees using consumer  Generative AI (GenAI) tools in secret, departments building redundant solutions, and confusion about what AI transformation actually means. Recent research from Google also reveals the inconvenient truth: Just 3 percent of organizations have achieved meaningful AI transformation. However, 97 percent remain mired in what I call AI aspiration fantasy theater. This isn't a technology problem. The GenAI tools work. The models are remarkable. The issue is that we've fundamentally misunderstood what meaningful and substantive AI transformation requires. The Executive Blind Spot The data reveals a troubling pattern: executives are 15 percentage points more likely than their employees to believe that AI is alread...

Three years ago, ChatGPT's launch sparked a wave of excitement that swept through corporate boardrooms. Executives marveled at the AI tool's potential while simultaneously wrestling with questions about practical application, return on investment, and workforce implications. Fast forward to today, and the picture has transformed dramatically. According to Wharton's latest research tracking enterprise Generative AI (GenAI) adoption, we're witnessing not just incremental progress but a fundamental shift in how businesses integrate artificial intelligence into their core operations. The numbers tell a compelling story of maturation and desired business outcomes. Daily GenAI usage among enterprise decision-makers has surged to 46 percent — that's a 17-percentage-point leap year-over-year — while 82 percent now engage with these tools at least weekly. This isn't casual experimentation; this is mainstream adoption. What began as fascinated tinkering has evolved into ...

While many industries grapple with artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, healthcare and life sciences have emerged as unexpected frontrunners in the Applied-AI transformation. This isn't merely about early adoption; it's about meaningful deployment at scale. The healthcare sector has decisively moved beyond the experimental phase, transforming AI from a technological curiosity into an operational necessity, reshaping everything from drug discovery to clinical documentation. What makes this transformation particularly compelling is its breadth. Unlike other sectors where AI applications remain narrowly focused, healthcare organizations are deploying AI across an extraordinarily diverse range of use cases — from analyzing medical imagery to accelerating pharmaceutical research, from optimizing hospital workflows to personalizing treatment protocols. This multi-dimensional adoption reflects both the complexity of healthcare challenges and the sector's willingness to embrace i...

The OECD’s latest report, "Governing with Artificial Intelligence: The State of Play and Way Forward in Core Government Functions", is an indispensable blueprint for public sector digital transformation. The analysis confirms what many leaders already suspect: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an optional add-on but the definitive next frontier in the digital government journey, offering the potential to fundamentally reshape how the state operates, delivers value, and maintains fiscal integrity. The imperative for modern governance is clear: deliver more value to citizens with greater efficiency and impeccable integrity. Applied-AI offers the transformative power to move beyond incremental improvements and achieve systemic, high-impact public sector transformation. The Productivity and Prudence Dividend The most compelling case for embracing AI in government centers on its potential to unlock unprecedented employee productivity and cost efficiency levels. Public ser...

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the business technology arena at breakneck speed, a fascinating paradox emerges: the more sophisticated our AI tools become, the more crucial human skills become in determining organizational success. The latest Fortune AIQ Advisory Board survey reveals that forward-thinking companies are investing in AI tools and fundamentally reimagining their approach to talent acquisition, employee development, and organizational culture around AI capabilities. This shift represents more than a technological upgrade; it's a fundamental transformation in how businesses conceptualize competitive advantage. The companies that will thrive in the AI-driven economy are those that recognize AI proficiency as a core competency, not merely a nice-to-have technical skill. The New Enterprise Hiring Paradigm The survey data paints a compelling picture of this transformation. An overwhelming 69 percent of respondents consider AI skills either "very important...

Has your organization prepared to compete in a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn't just an IT tool, but the new operating system for digital transformation? Based on the findings from a Menlo Ventures market study, it's now clear that Generative AI (GenAI) has moved beyond the realm of experimentation and firmly established itself as a mission-critical imperative for enterprises across industries. The transformative power of this rapidly emerging technology is reshaping digital business strategies, enterprise workflows, and entire sectors at an unprecedented pace. The Numbers Tell a Compelling Story The surge in AI spending is nothing short of remarkable. In 2024, enterprise AI investments skyrocketed to $13.8 billion, a staggering sixfold increase from the $2.3 billion spent in 2023. This dramatic uptick in investment signals a definitive shift from pilot programs to full-scale implementation, with GenAI tools becoming deeply embedded in core business operations. T...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools evolved and the inevitable outcome has arrived. The emerging Generative AI market demand has rapidly grown from initial hype and pilots to full-blown strategic implementation. The Wharton AI Report for 2024 reveals a nuanced picture of how the leading firms integrate this groundbreaking business technology into their operational frameworks. Key Insights and Market Dynamics The most striking statistic is the surge in generative AI adoption: 72 percent of decision-makers now report using generative AI at least once a week, compared to just 37 percent in 2023. This represents a dramatic shift from curiosity to active experimentation across multiple business functions. Spending has matched this enthusiasm, with generative AI budgets increasing by 130 percent since 2023. However, the growth trajectory is showing signs of stabilization. While 72 percent of respondents plan to increase AI budgets in the next year, a majority (57 percent) anticipate more mod...