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WEF Report: How Top Firms Are Scaling AI for Real-World Impact

A new World Economic Forum report, produced with Accenture, details how pioneering organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation to achieve measurable impact at scale. The study, drawing on hundreds of use cases across 30+ countries, identifies common success patterns like strategic integration and enhanced human-AI collaboration. It highlights a growing divide between companies that can effectively scale AI and those still struggling with deployment. The Forum also announced its latest cohort of 20 organizations driving high-impact AI solutions across sectors like healthcare, energy, and manufacturing.

Key Points: WEF Report: Scaling AI from Experimentation to Impact

  • Embed AI in strategic decisions
  • Redesign work for human-AI collaboration
  • Strengthen data foundations
  • Modernize tech platforms with responsible governance
3 min read

WEF report finds how leading organisations are transitioning from AI experimentation to impact at scale

WEF and Accenture report reveals how leading organizations achieve measurable AI gains by embedding it in strategy and human collaboration.

"Trusted, advanced AI can transform businesses, but it requires organizing data and processes... and it also requires human ingenuity. - Manish Sharma, Accenture"

Geneva, January 19

The World Economic Forum has released a report, revealing successful AI stories that already delivered measurable performance gains and detailing how pioneering organisations moved beyond experimentation to achieve impact at scale. As investment accelerated and expectations rose, the findings highlighted a growing divide between companies that built the capabilities to scale AI and those still struggling to deploy it effectively.

A WEF release indicated that this gap was bridged through lessons drawn from real-world use cases. The report, titled "Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations," was produced in collaboration with Accenture. It drew on insights from two cohorts of the global MINDS programme, which showcased high-impact, real-world AI applications. Analysts examined hundreds of cases across more than 30 countries and over 20 industries, including healthcare, energy, and infrastructure.

The release noted that an independent Impact Council of leading executives and experts identified clear common patterns among the most promising cases. These included embedding AI into strategic decision-making, redesigning work to strengthen human-AI collaboration, and strengthening data foundations. Successful organisations also focused on modernising technology platforms and supporting these efforts with responsible governance.

"AI offers extraordinary potential, yet many organizations remain unsure about how to realize it," said Stephan Mergenthaler, Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, World Economic Forum. "The selected use cases show what is possible when ambition is translated into operational transformation and our new report provides a practical guide to help others follow the path these leaders have set."

"Trusted, advanced AI can transform businesses, but it requires organizing data and processes to achieve the best of technology and - this is key - it also requires human ingenuity to maximize returns on AI investments," said Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer at Accenture. "We encourage organizations to have a clear game plan, and focus on responsible innovation, as they seek to implement and scale AI."

The Forum also announced the second cohort of 20 pioneers driving high-impact AI solutions. The information technology sector includes Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), EXL Services (USA), and KPMG & SAP (Netherlands, Germany).

Energy management: Horizon Power & TerraQuanta (China), Schneider Electric (France), Siemens (Switzerland), National Institute of Clean and Low-Carbon Energy (China), China Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute, Huaneng Jilin Power Generation Co., Ltd. New Energy Branch, and China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. Jiangsu Branch (China), State Grid Corporation of China (China).

Battery Manufacturing: CATL & AIMS (Hangzhou Augmented Intelligence Manufacturing Solution) (China), CATL (China),Tsinghua University and Electroder (China).

Global Health & Healthcare includes Ant Group (China), Landing Med (China), Social Medical Corporation Genshukai & Fujitsu (Japan), Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia & AmplifAI (Saudi Arabia), Sanofi & OAO (France).

Robotics: Hyundai & DEEPX (Republic of Korea).

Financial Services: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Retail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle: PepsiCo (USA), Wumart & Dmall (China).

Chemical & Scientific Discovery: Deep Principle (China), Phagos (France), UCSF Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases & SandboxAQ (USA).

Engineering, Construction & Infrastructure: Hitachi Rail (Japan), Fujitsu (Japan), Lenovo (China),Cambridge Industries (USA).

Advanced Manufacturing: Foxconn & Boston Consulting Group, BCG (Taiwan, China; USA), Siemens & EthonAI (Germany, Switzerland), Black Lake Technologies (China).

Social & Public Good: Tech Mahindra (India).

The World Economic Forum (WEF) will convene its 56th Annual Meeting in Davos from January 19 to January 23, 2026, bringing together nearly 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty and rapid technological transformation.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Good to see Tech Mahindra representing India in the Social & Public Good category! But the list is dominated by Chinese and Western firms. Our startups and IT giants need to be more aggressive in showcasing high-impact AI solutions on global platforms like WEF.
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Rahul R
The "growing divide" mentioned is very real. In my company, we're still stuck in endless proof-of-concepts while our competitors are scaling. The lesson on strengthening data foundations is spot on – that's our biggest hurdle. Need to act fast.
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Sarah B
Working with Indian clients, I see a lot of enthusiasm for AI but often a lack of the clear game plan Accenture's Manish Sharma talks about. Embedding AI into strategic decision-making is crucial, not treating it as a separate IT project.
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Aditya G
Responsible governance is non-negotiable, especially in a diverse country like India. As we scale AI in sectors like healthcare and finance, we must ensure it's fair, transparent, and doesn't amplify existing biases. The report rightly highlights this.
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Kavya N
Interesting to see applications in energy and infrastructure. India has massive needs in both areas. Can our PSUs and large infrastructure companies learn from State Grid Corporation of China or Schneider Electric? Public-private partnerships are the way forward.
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Varun X

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