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A new survey from Zapier has uncovered a significant "AI impact gap" within U.S. enterprises. While an overwhelming 97% of large companies report using AI, only half (50%) say the benefits are widespread across their organization. The findings highlight that adoption is outpacing measurable value, with integration challenges and difficulty tracking ROI preventing businesses from scaling AI's impact effectively.
A Zapier survey finds 97% of U.S. enterprises are using AI.
However, only 50% report that AI benefits are widespread across their company.
91% of companies struggle to accurately measure the true value of their AI initiatives.
A perception gap exists: 63% of executives see widespread benefits vs. 42% of directors.
Time savings is the top-cited benefit (25%), three times higher than cost savings (8%).
HR leads in AI adoption and benefits (26%), outpacing Marketing (23%) and Sales (13%).
The research indicates that measurement is a central hurdle. Although 73% of companies have a formal process to track AI return on investment (ROI), a striking 91% still face challenges in accurately quantifying the results. This difficulty in proving value contributes to the uneven distribution of benefits. Emily Mabie, AI Automation Engineer at Zapier, commented on the findings, stating, “AI adoption is nearly universal, but the benefits aren’t. Our data shows that enterprises are struggling to scale AI’s value beyond isolated successes. The key to closing the gap is orchestration, connecting data, tools, and teams so AI delivers measurable outcomes everywhere.”
The survey also revealed a notable disconnect in perception between different levels of leadership. Sixty-three percent of C-suite executives believe AI benefits are widespread, a view shared by only 42% of directors and middle managers who are closer to the day-to-day implementation. The data shows that businesses that have fully embedded AI into their operations are twice as likely to see widespread benefits (76% vs. 36%), underscoring the importance of deep integration over superficial adoption.
Based on the findings, Zapier offers several key recommendations for enterprises to scale AI impact. These include connecting the AI ecosystem to avoid data silos, establishing a formal ROI process, and empowering every team with no-code tools. The report also advises standardizing workflows enterprise-wide, consolidating redundant AI tools to reduce sprawl, and strategically reinvesting the time savings—the top-cited benefit—into innovation and customer experience.
The survey results paint a clear picture of an enterprise landscape at an AI crossroads. Widespread experimentation has taken hold, but strategic orchestration is now required to transition from isolated wins to transformative, company-wide value, turning the promise of AI into a measurable reality.
About Zapier
Zapier is an AI orchestration platform that connects 8,000+ apps to help companies automate workflows and improve productivity. Since 2012, millions of users have trusted Zapier to automate everything from lead routing and data synchronization to customer conversations—all without writing code. By turning complex integrations into simple, point-and-click workflows, Zapier empowers teams of all sizes to focus on strategic work. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, organizations worldwide trust Zapier to streamline operations, reduce errors, and accelerate growth through intelligent automation.
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