Austin, Texas, USA, April 4, 2025
Futurum Unveils Research on Generative AI’s Business Impact, Revealing Dramatic Improvements in Operational Efficiency but Caution in Risk Management Applications
More than 75% of organizations report positive impacts on operational efficiency from Generative AI, while just 48% see positive effects on risk management, according to new Futurum Research findings.
Futurum’s 2H 2024 AI Software & Tools Decision Maker Survey reveals that operational efficiency shows the strongest positive sentiment at 76%, with customer satisfaction (73%) and revenue growth (71%) close behind. Meanwhile, organizations remain cautious about GenAI’s impact on risk management, with only 48% reporting positive outcomes and 34% maintaining a neutral stance.
Figure 1: Generative AI Impact Across Business Categories (2024; in Percentage)
Nick Patience, VP & AI Practice Lead at Futurum, said, “Organizations are clearly seeing dramatic productivity gains from Generative AI, particularly in operational areas where process automation and efficiency improvements deliver immediate value. However, there’s a notable hesitancy around risk management applications, suggesting organizations need more robust frameworks for managing AI risks and compliance concerns.”
The research reveals several key developments shaping enterprise AI adoption:
- Operational efficiency shows the most dramatic positive impact with 76% positive ratings (44% strong positive + 32% slight positive) and only 9% negative.
- Customer satisfaction follows closely with 73% positive ratings (35% strong positive + 38% slight positive).
- Revenue growth also performs strongly with 71% positive ratings but faces slightly more skepticism (13% negative).
- Risk management has the highest neutrality (34%) and lowest positive sentiment (48%), indicating significant uncertainty.
- Cost management shows the second-highest negative sentiment (19%), suggesting implementation costs or ROI challenges.
Major areas benefiting from Generative AI include customer service (69%), content generation (65%), and productivity solutions (58%). Technical expertise (52%) and data privacy controls (51%) top organizations’ implementation priorities.
“The findings underscore clear opportunities and challenges in enterprise AI adoption,” noted Patience. “While Generative AI delivers exceptional value in customer-facing functions and operational efficiency, organizations must carefully navigate risk management concerns and cost considerations to maximize their investments.”
The survey reveals a maturity split in organizational approaches to AI. While most organizations report positive overall impacts, larger enterprises see stronger operational efficiency and revenue growth benefits, while mid-market companies show more caution around risk and cost management. This bifurcation suggests different AI implementation strategies based on organizational size and maturity, with larger enterprises better positioned to manage AI risks.
Read more in the report “2H 2024 AI Software/Tools Decision Maker Survey AI Software & Tools.”
About Futurum Intelligence for Market Leaders
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Author Information
Nick is VP and Practice Lead for AI at The Futurum Group. Nick is a thought leader on the development, deployment and adoption of AI - an area he has been researching for 25 years. Prior to Futurum, Nick was a Managing Analyst with S&P Global Market Intelligence, with responsibility for 451 Research’s coverage of Data, AI, Analytics, Information Security and Risk. Nick became part of S&P Global through its 2019 acquisition of 451 Research, a pioneering analyst firm Nick co-founded in 1999. He is a sought-after speaker and advisor, known for his expertise in the drivers of AI adoption, industry use cases, and the infrastructure behind its development and deployment. Nick also spent three years as a product marketing lead at Recommind (now part of OpenText), a machine learning-driven eDiscovery software company. Nick is based in London.
