93% of Enterprises Report Returns on their AI Investments, finds Bounteous Study

Bounteous, a leading digital transformation consultancy, today released findings from its global study “The AI Whitespace: Addressing Challenges to Unlock Potential”, highlighting how enterprises are adopting artificial intelligence and where significant gaps remain in unlocking enterprise-wide transformation.

The study draws insights from over 300 global decision-makers across marketing and technology functions at enterprises with revenues above USD 500 million. It reveals that AI adoption is universal, with 93% of companies reporting expected or better ROI from their AI investments. However, while organizations are seeing measurable returns, challenges around governance, knowledge gaps, and siloed adoption continue to hold back the full potential of AI.

Key findings from the study

• AI delivering ROI at scale: 93% of enterprises report that their AI initiatives are paying off as expected or better. Of this, 50% say returns are higher than expected. The study finds that AI is moving beyond experimentation and is already creating tangible value.

• Generative AI adoption widespread: While adoption of platforms from Google (70%) and Microsoft (69%) is unsurprising given existing enterprise agreements, two standout findings emerged: 73% of enterprises reported using OpenAI, and 35% have developed their own internal AI platforms. AI is now deeply embedded in enterprise operations. Importantly, 95% of respondents rated AI adoption as important or very important, with 65% of executives identifying AI as the top priority for the next 12 months.

• Marketing sees faster payoffs: 59% of marketing leaders reported higher-than-expected ROI, compared to 43% of IT leaders. Marketing teams finds AI easier to adopt and scale AI versus more complex IT-led AI deployments.

• Executive optimism vs. reality: Executives are twice as likely as non-executives to classify their organizations as “Expert” in AI maturity. The study highlights a disconnect between leadership perception and the day-to-day realities of employees using AI.

• Fragmented ownership: The study points out that AI responsibility is still siloed, with 46% placing ownership under the CIO/CTO and only 3% leveraging cross-functional taskforces or Centers of Excellence. 

• Barriers to scaling AI: Legal compliance and risk, lack of general AI knowledge, and lack of trust were the top challenges cited. Respondents highlighted stronger governance, workforce enablement, and cross-functional collaboration as key measures to overcome these barriers.

• AI priorities today: Most organizations focus on embedded AI features (33%) and enabling workforce productivity (30%) as their priorities for short-term gains. For long-term, fewer companies are investing in engineered AI solutions (15%) and evolving holistic strategies (22%), leaving untapped whitespace for broader transformation.

Martin Young, Executive Vice President, Data & AI at Bounteous, said “The biggest AI breakthroughs are yet to be unlocked. Enterprises must treat AI as a long-term investment, balancing experimentation with governance, embedding innovation into the organizational fabric, and breaking down silos between teams. Those who delay risk falling behind, while those who commit now will be best positioned to capture sustainable, enterprise-wide transformation.”

AI Adoption Priorities across different sectors 

The study analyzed AI adoption trends across seven major industry sectors – such as Financial Services, Technology, Marketing/Advertising, Telecommunications, Healthcare, Travel & Hospitality, and Retail/Consumer Dining; as well as among key leadership segments like C-suite executives and IT leaders. 

Below are the findings from four major industries—Healthcare, Financial Services, Travel & Hospitality, and Retail/Consumer & Dining. 

- Embedded AI Features
44% of travel and hospitality leaders are focusing on using AI tools that are already built into the software they own, followed by financial services at 39%, healthcare at 32%, and retail, consumer, and dining at 30%. 

- Enabling Teams
34% of retail, consumer, and dining leaders are using AI to make staff more efficient, followed by healthcare at 32%, travel and hospitality at 31%, and financial services at 30%. The data suggests that consumer-facing industries are focusing more on empowering their workforce with AI to improve productivity.

- Preparing for AI Evolution
25% of retail, consumer, and dining leaders focus on planning for long-term AI strategies, well ahead of healthcare at 20%, financial services at 15%, and travel and hospitality at 14%. Retail leaders are placing greater emphasis on building AI roadmaps and preparing for future adoption compared to other sectors.

- Engineering New Tools and Products
Financial services (17%) and healthcare (16%) leaders are more focused on creating custom AI solutions tailored to their needs, while travel and hospitality and retail, consumer, and dining are at 11% each.