Deloitte: AI is going mainstream, but not without hurdles
AI is quickly moving from test runs to real-world use in businesses, according to Deloitte's new 2026 report.
After surveying over 3,200 leaders worldwide last year, the message is clear: companies are doubling down on AI as its impact grows.
More workers are getting their hands on AI
Over the past year, access to AI tech among employees expanded by roughly 50%.
Right now, only a quarter of organizations have 40% or more of their AI experiments deployed into production—but that's expected to jump to over half within months as more companies scale up.
Big changes and some growing pains
A quarter of businesses say AI has already brought major changes—double last year's number.
Most see boosts in productivity and even some revenue growth.
But not everyone feels ready: just 42% think they're strategically prepared for full-on AI adoption.
The biggest headaches? Managing risk and finding enough people with the right skills.