69% have an AI strategy. But most are disconnected from what actually drives revenue.
The Forrester finding
Forrester asked 1,000 enterprise executives: "Do you have an AI strategy?"
69% said yes. That's the headline.
But then they asked: "Is it connected to your business model?"
Only 18% said yes.
That gap — 69% to 18% — is the real story.
What they're actually doing
Most companies have an "AI strategy" that reads like this:
- "We will pilot AI in customer service."
- "We will set up a center of excellence."
- "We will train employees on ChatGPT."
None of that touches the revenue engine. None of it asks: "How does this make us money?"
The connected minority
The 18% who said their strategy is actually connected — they're doing something different:
- They're asking: "What part of our funnel can AI accelerate?"
- They're measuring ROI per AI implementation, not just "adoption rates."
- They're willing to cannibalize old processes if AI does it better.
That's a different mindset. That's connected.
If this plays out
The companies with disconnected AI strategies will waste 2-3 years and millions of dollars on pilots that don't move the needle.
The connected ones will have built new revenue streams.
Who wins
Companies that ask "What does AI do to our economics?" before they pilot anything.
Who loses
Companies that treat AI as a separate initiative instead of asking how it fundamentally changes how they make money.
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