Only 40% of Firms Have Scaled AI While 77% of US Companies Already in Production, Citi Survey Shows

Only about 40% of firms have moved AI beyond pilots to production, a Citi Institute survey finds. The same study says nearly 60% of organisations are still exploring or running pilot projects. The report says the next step for AI will be wider rollout that can show clear business value.

Regional Gaps

North America leads the curve, with 77% of surveyed firms already using AI in production or scaling it across operations. Companies in Asia‑Pacific are mainly in the exploration or pilot phase, while Europe sits between the two regions.

Investment Focus

The survey lists business‑model transformation as the top reason for AI spending, cited by 34% of respondents. Capability building follows at 32%, and 25% aim to boost specific performance metrics such as cost or revenue.

Reported Gains

Among firms that have reached production or scaling, 60% say AI has created more than 15% transformational value through lower costs, higher employee productivity or revenue growth. The report adds that task automation remains the most common AI use, but firms with larger tech budgets are testing autonomous agents for complex workflows.

Scaling Challenges

Citi points to enterprise‑wide deployment as the biggest hurdle. Success will rely less on access to AI models and more on proprietary data, skilled staff and smooth integration into core processes. Companies moving to production also tend to plan shorter investment horizons, treating AI as an operational tool rather than a long‑term experiment.

Context

These findings show that while AI hype is high, many businesses still struggle to turn pilots into profit‑driving systems, a gap that varies sharply across regions.