Only 5% of Companies Globally Are “Future-Built” for AI, according to a New BCG Report

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) finds that just 5% of companies worldwide have reached the maturity level to be considered “future-built” for AI, and these organizations are capturing the lion’s share of value as artificial intelligence rapidly transforms global industries.

According to the report — The Widening AI Value Gap: Build for the Future 2025 — future-built companies are not only scaling AI but fundamentally reinventing how their businesses operate. They are achieving 1.7x revenue growth, 3.6x higher total shareholder return (TSR), and 1.6x EBIT margin compared to their peers. Meanwhile, 35% of organizations are in the process of scaling AI (“scalers”), and the remaining 60% (“laggards”) are still struggling to generate tangible results.

“AI is reshaping the business landscape far faster than previous technology waves,” said Nicolas de Bellefonds, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG and global leader of the firm’s AI efforts. “The few companies that are truly future-built aren’t just automating—they’re reinventing how their businesses work. And they’re pulling away fast.”

Agentic AI: The Next Frontier Driving the Value Gap

A major catalyst of this widening divide is agentic AI — systems that learn, reason, and act autonomously to solve complex problems. These next-generation agents already account for 17% of total AI value in 2025 and are expected to reach 29% by 2028.

Future-built firms are leading this shift: they allocate about 15% of their AI budgets to agentic technologies, and one in three are already deploying them, compared to just 12% among “scalers” and almost none among laggards.

“Agentic AI isn’t the future — it’s happening now,” said Amanda Luther, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG. “But success with agents requires redesigning how work gets done. Companies need to rethink processes, roles, and skills to capture the full value.”

AI Value Is Concentrated in the Core

Across industries, 70% of AI’s potential value is concentrated in core business functions — R&D, innovation, sales and marketing, supply chain, and pricing. Leading sectors include software, telecommunications, and fintech, while fashion, chemicals, and construction remain at the lower end of the AI maturity curve.

Future-built organizations are strategically embedding AI in these high-value areas, driving measurable results and innovation at scale.

Five Strategies of Future-Built Companies

BCG’s research identifies a clear playbook followed by future-built companies to generate value and expand their competitive edge:

• Lead from the top with a bold, multiyear AI ambition.
• Redesign the business with value-based prioritization and measurable outcomes.
• Adopt an AI-first operating model grounded in human–machine collaboration.
• Secure and develop talent, anticipating new skill needs and investing in upskilling.
• Build the right tech and data foundations to scale safely and effectively.

“The technology is advancing weekly, and leading companies are accelerating,” said Michael Grebe, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG. “For the other 95%, catching up will require more than investment — it will take reinvention. The good news is that the roadmap is clear and proven.”

About the Report

The Widening AI Value Gap: Build for the Future 2025 is based on a global survey of 1,250 senior executives and AI decision makers across nine industries and more than 25 sectors. The study assesses AI maturity across 41 foundational capabilities, including strategy, technology, talent, innovation, and outcomes.

Full report can be accesed here.