Here’s the truth: businesses are not doing a great job with AI right now.

If you feel behind, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start, you’re in very good company—and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, early confusion is exactly what makes this such a powerful moment for organizations willing to act intentionally.

At Optimal, we’ve spent decades helping executives navigate technological turning points. What we’re seeing with AI today looks a lot like the early days of the cloud: massive hype, uneven adoption, and enormous potential for those who take a methodical approach.

 

Leaders Say AI Matters. Their Investments Say Otherwise.

A few data points tell the story clearly:

• 79% of leaders believe they must adopt AI to stay competitive.
• Nearly the same percentage would hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills over a more experienced candidate without them.
• Yet nearly half of U.S. executives aren’t investing in AI tools at all.
• And only 22% of employees are aware their organization even has an AI strategy.

This disconnect—strong belief, weak action—is exactly what’s slowing progress.

 

Meanwhile, Your Workforce Has Already Adopted AI… On Their Own

Three out of four knowledge workers are already using AI at work. Often quietly. Usually without guidance. And almost never with the guardrails necessary to protect data, ensure accuracy, or produce consistent outcomes.

This “shadow AI” problem is one of the biggest reasons only 1% of C-suite leaders consider their organization’s AI use to be “mature.”

AI isn’t yet driving measurable business results because most organizations haven’t clarified their goals, policies, or expectations—and haven’t prepared their teams to use the right tools effectively.

 

Here’s the Upside: You Are Not Behind

If you’re worried your peers have already outpaced you, take a breath. They haven’t.

The vast majority of organizations are still experimenting, or hoping AI becomes clearer before they make a move. That hesitation is your competitive advantage.

Firms that take methodical, strategic action now—not rushed implementation, not ad-hoc tools, but thoughtful change management—are poised to outperform by a wide margin. Just as early cloud adopters gained efficiency, resilience, and scale, early AI adopters will gain speed, quality, and strategic clarity.

 

A Smarter Way to Start: Methodical AI Implementation

Optimal’s AI Foundations engagement was designed specifically for organizations in this moment of uncertainty. Over six months, our CIO Consultants help you:

• Evaluate your readiness
• Build a clear AI strategy and use policy
• Train an internal taskforce
• Run structured pilot programs
• Roll out AI safely and effectively organization-wide
• Identify 3–5 custom AI applications worth building

It’s intentional, controlled, and aligned to your business—not a race to adopt tools you don’t need.

If you want better outcomes, reduced risk, and a workforce that actually knows how to leverage AI, we’d love to help you get there.

 

 

 

AI Adoption FAQ

Why are most businesses struggling with AI adoption? ›

Because AI feels urgent but unclear. Many leaders recognize its value but haven’t defined goals, policies, or investments—leaving employees to adopt tools independently.

What is “shadow AI”? ›

Shadow AI refers to employees using AI tools without organizational approval, oversight, or guidance. This can introduce security, accuracy, and compliance risks.

How many employees are using AI at work? ›

Recent data shows roughly 75% of knowledge workers are already using AI at work—even when their company has no formal AI policy or strategy.

Why do only 1% of executives consider their AI use mature? ›

Because true AI maturity requires measurable outcomes. Most organizations remain in an experimentation phase without structured processes or success metrics.

What should an organization do first when adopting AI? ›

Start with a readiness assessment and a strategic plan to align goals, data hygiene, security requirements, and workforce needs before deploying tools.

How can AI help small and mid-sized organizations? ›

AI can reduce administrative burden, improve quality, speed up workflows, and unlock insights—especially when applied consistently across core processes.

What is the benefit of a structured AI program like AI Foundations? ›

It provides a guided, low-risk path with a clear strategy, trained employees, defined pilots, and high-impact use cases supported by technical and strategic oversight.