Only 7.5% of companies are “future-built” for AI
Phil Thomas ·
Only 7.5% of companies are “future-built” for AI.
That figure comes from BCG’s Applied AI Index 2026, a survey of 1,330 CxOs and senior leaders. Those companies are seeing 2.8x the EBITDA growth of the laggards.
What caught my eye was the next group down. Another 41% of companies are now scaling AI and outperforming too. A year ago BCG said only 5% were getting real value from AI. Today it’s close to half.
So AI does pay off. What matters is whether you’re building on purpose or just experimenting.
Most of the businesses I work with aren’t giants. They’re professional services firms and SMEs with a few tools in place, a few ideas, and not much time to work out what’s worth doing.
That’s why Elliot Lewis and I set up the AI Opportunity Review. It’s a free one-hour session where we:
- learn how your business runs today
- find where AI and better tech could make a real difference
- come back to you with practical options, not a sales pitch
You don’t need to be a giant to build well.
