Enterprise-level AI deployments are already “becoming pervasive” and the technology is disrupting the majority of industries, according to research unveiled by Indian outsourcing and IT giant Infosys at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. Some 90% of C-level executives “have already reported measurable benefits from deploying AI” while nearly half (45%) say that “the AI deployments in their organisation are greatly outpacing the accuracy and productivity of comparable human activity”, according to the global survey of over a thousand C-suite executives and decision-makers.

The Infosys research shows that while AI for business is still considered to be at a very stage of maturity by many, in fact its adoption is already widespread and transformative, with 86% of organisations surveyed having either middle- or late-stage AI deployments. Meanwhile, most (77%) of those questioned were at least guardedly optimistic about the impact of the technology on their workforces, being “confident that employees in their organisation can be trained for the new job roles AI technologies will create”.

Infosys President Mohit Joshi said: “While it’s fair to say that, like most promising new technologies, there has been a tremendous amount of hype around AI, it turns out that the vast majority of enterprises with AI deployments are realising clear and measureable results. AI, as the research shows, is becoming core to business strategy, and is compelling business leaders to alter the way they hire, train and inspire teams, and the way they compete and foster innovation. Industry disruption from AI is no longer imminent, it is here. The organisations that embrace AI with a clearly defined strategy and use AI to amplify their workforce rather than replace it, will take the lead, and those that don’t will fall behind or find themselves irrelevant.”