Business UpdateJun 17, 2026, 08:33 AM
EXL Study: 76% believe ahead on AI, only 10% are Leaders
AI Summary
EXL's 2026 U.S. Enterprise AI Study reveals a significant gap between perceived AI progress and real-world performance. While 76% of companies believe they are ahead of competitors, only 10% qualify as AI Leaders. These leaders achieve substantial returns, including 27% revenue growth, 26% cost reduction, and 22% margin improvement, by reimagining core workflows and transforming their operating models rather than just investing in technology. The study highlights that data-readiness remains a major challenge for many organizations.
Key Highlights
- 76% of companies believe they are ahead of competitors on AI adoption.
- Only 10% of companies meet the criteria to be considered AI Leaders.
- AI Leaders achieve 27% revenue growth in areas where AI is implemented.
- AI Leaders achieve 26% cost reduction in areas where AI is implemented.
- AI Leaders achieve 22% margin improvement in areas where AI is implemented.
- 44% of AI Leaders completely redesigned operating models, compared to 23% of Laggards.
- 7 in 10 respondents cite data infrastructure as the biggest barrier to scaling AI.
Price Impact
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