#322 Amanda Luther: The Widening AI Value Gap (Inside BCG's AI Research) - Eye On A.I. Recap

Podcast: Eye On A.I.

Published: 2026-02-19

Duration: 54 min

Summary

Amanda Luther discusses the widening AI value gap between early adopters and laggards, emphasizing that companies investing in AI are seeing significant returns, while many are still hesitant to adopt these technologies.

What Happened

In this episode, Amanda Luther, a senior partner with BCG and leader of their AI transformation practice, shares insights from their annual study on AI impact across various industries. She reveals that approximately 60% of companies are either lagging behind or emerging in their AI adoption, failing to extract much value from these technologies. Luther expresses surprise at the slow pace of AI adoption, particularly in areas like customer service, where traditional systems still dominate.

The study highlights a stark contrast between the 5% of companies termed 'future built'—those fully realizing AI's potential across multiple business functions—and the larger group of laggards. Companies that are successfully leveraging AI are primarily gaining value from core business functions like sales, marketing, procurement, and supply chain, which account for about 70% of the benefits. Luther notes that while large enterprises can invest significantly in AI, there’s also a rise of smaller, AI-native startups efficiently capturing market share in newer industries, showcasing a diverse landscape in the AI adoption narrative.

Key Insights

Key Questions Answered

What percentage of companies are lagging in AI adoption?

According to Amanda Luther, about 60% of companies are categorized as either laggards or emerging in their AI adoption journey. This group is not deriving much value from AI technologies, indicating a significant gap in how companies are leveraging these tools. The study underscores that many businesses are still hesitant to fully embrace AI, which contributes to this widening value gap.

How do successful companies derive value from AI?

Luther explains that companies successfully harnessing AI primarily gain value from core business functions, which vary by industry. For instance, core functions such as sales, marketing, procurement, and supply chain represent about 70% of the value generated through AI. The remaining 30% comes from efficiencies in corporate functions like finance and HR, highlighting that the most impactful use cases of AI are often directly linked to business operations.

What distinguishes the top 5% of AI adopters?

The top 5% of companies, termed 'future built', are distinguished by their ability to see value at scale across multiple areas of their profit and loss statements. This group often includes a mix of more recent, digital-native companies and older firms that are successfully reinventing themselves in the AI landscape. Their financial metrics, including EBIT margins and total shareholder returns, indicate they are ahead of the curve in realizing AI's potential.

What role do large enterprises play in AI investment?

Luther notes that larger enterprises tend to have an advantage in AI investment, as they can allocate significant resources to build AI platforms and dedicated teams. The scale of these investments allows for a better chance of accruing value from incremental gains. However, there are also noteworthy developments among smaller AI-native startups that can achieve impressive revenue with lean teams, indicating a shift in how AI can be leveraged across different business sizes.

Are AI-native startups entering legacy industries?

Luther suggests that while many AI-native startups are indeed focusing on new industries, they are also beginning to penetrate legacy sectors. These companies often utilize their streamlined operations and advanced AI capabilities to disrupt established players. For instance, companies specializing in AI development or low-code, no-code solutions are starting to challenge incumbents in traditional markets, prompting a reevaluation of how legacy industries operate.