Top AI-Maturity Firms Report 4x Returns as Enterprise Scaling Lags

Microsoft published findings Nov. 12 from a July 2026 survey it commissioned of 5,204 senior IT and business leaders across 28 industries. Organizations in the top 10% of the survey’s AI-maturity scale reported average returns of 4x from AI, compared with 2.7x among those in the bottom 30%. The results highlight a gap between the highest-maturity firms and the wider push to expand AI across businesses.

The survey labeled the top group “Frontier Firms” and the bottom group “slow adopters.” Thirty-nine percent of Frontier Firms reported returns of 5x or more, compared with 4% of slow adopters. The findings do not specify how returns were calculated or the period they covered.

Across all respondents, 66% said AI had delivered substantial or transformative results, while 48% said their organizations were scaling that value across multiple business units. Thirty-six percent were still piloting AI agents, software designed to carry out tasks using artificial intelligence.

Deployment patterns differed among the maturity groups. Ninety-six percent of Frontier Firms were rolling out agents at scale, and 53% were coordinating agents across workflows. An agent-governance process was in place at 87% of the top group, compared with 51% of slow adopters.

Workforce preparation showed a similar divide. Eighty percent of Frontier Firms had an organization-wide AI-skilling strategy, versus 3% of slow adopters. Across all organizations, 20% had a comprehensive strategy. Eric Tabor, chief digital officer at KOHLER, said, “The skilling that a lot of companies miss is the business skilling.”

Confidence in measuring results also varied: 93% of Frontier Firms said they were highly confident they could measure AI’s business value and return on investment, compared with 61% of organizations overall. The survey’s maturity scale includes factors such as AI outcomes, agent adoption, skills and management of AI risks. The comparisons therefore do not establish that any one practice caused the higher returns, and the survey relies on leaders’ own reports.