In 2021, researchers at MIT and McKinsey teamed up to ask more than 100 companies how they were using AI in their operations and to learn what separated the highest-performing companies from the rest. They conducted a similar survey in 2023 to see what had changed. They found that the gap between leading companies and the rest had widened; that the payback-period for AI investments was much shorter; and that leading companies were better at identifying and implementing use cases that delivered positive outcomes with lower risk. They also identified four factors that set leading companies apart: 1) Their efforts had executive sponsorship; 2) That the network of partnerships had shifted away from academia and startups to a maturing ecosystem of consultants, vendors, and industry partners, suggesting AI had matured enough that practical approaches are most valued; 3) That successful companies had smoother cross-departmental collaboration; and 4) That leading companies were more likely to record and manage relevant equipment data.
Three years ago, when we asked companies how they were using artificial intelligence in their operations, the highest-performing companies (the leaders), stood out in five areas: governance, deployment, partnerships, people, and data availability. Since then, generative AI (gen AI) has burst on the scene. So, in late 2023, we followed up, surveying more than 100 companies in sectors from automotive to mining and conducting in-depth interviews with senior executives.
