Executive Summary:
Cross-Industry View of the State of AI in 2025
HTEC survey finds executives agree the challenges of scaling AI go well beyond technology
Barriers include reliance on insufficient internal AI capabilities, the need for better leadership alignment behind AI strategy and ROI
In Brief
Based on insights from 1,529 C-suite executives.
The findings point to a clear inflection point. Every organization reports actively deploying AI in some form. However, only 45% of executives say AI is fully embedded across multiple functions or products, while the majority report deployment in limited areas, piloting, and still exploring.
For HTEC, this reflects the state on the ground—scaling AI into coordinated, enterprise-wide systems and workflows that bring measurable ROI remains a challenge for our clients. In the report, executives describe the hurdles that go far beyond technology itself.
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KEY FINDINGS
From adoption to enterprise impact
The hidden friction inside AI transformation
As AI and Edge AI move deeper into core operations, executives increasingly recognize that success depends on a specific set of technical and delivery capabilities and a decision they need to make – to build skills internally or partner externally.
The survey highlights that this decision is not a simple one with 48.75% of respondents preferring to build in house. Yet when asked which skills shortages were the most limiting to execute that strategy, embedded systems and edge computing, AI and machine learning data engineering and analytics and IOT & connected services accounted for the most cited shortages skills at 57%.
This points out a lack of consensus between costs vs velocity in deployment strategies within the leadership team.
The strategic gap at the top
Methodology
The report was commissioned by HTEC and conducted by Censuswide. It includes the insights from 1,529 C-suite leaders across the USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, spanning CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CFOs, COOs, CPOs, and CSOs across industries, including financial services, healthcare, automotive, telecommunications, retail, and semiconductors.
What next?
The results reflect organizations in transition: confident in AI’s importance, but still working through the realities of scaling, integration, and execution. While AI is now firmly embedded on the executive agenda, turning adoption into coordinated, enterprise-wide impact remains a work in progress.
Access the full report for deeper data, cross-industry insights, and practical guidance on how leaders can move from fragmented adoption to scalable AI transformation.
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