To find out the extent to which organizational data performance has improved as generative AI and other AI advances have taken hold, MIT Technology Review Insights surveyed 800 senior data and technology executives. We also conducted in-depth interviews with 15 technology and business leaders.
Key findings from the report include the next:
• Few data teams are keeping pace with AI. Organizations are doing no higher today at delivering on data strategy than in pre-generative AI days. Amongst those surveyed in 2025, 12% are self-assessed data “high achievers” compared with 13% in 2021. Shortages of expert talent remain a constraint, but teams also struggle with accessing fresh data, tracing lineage, and coping with security complexity—necessary requirements for AI success.
• Partly because of this, AI is just not fully firing yet. There are even fewer “high achievers” on the subject of AI. Just 2% of respondents rate their organizations’ AI performance highly today when it comes to delivering measurable business results. Actually, most are still struggling to scale generative AI. While two thirds have deployed it, only 7% have done so widely.
