The Intelligent Delusion: Study finds corporate AI ambitions outpace human capability 

• 77 percent of business leaders plan to drive revenue through new AI solutions
• More than half of business leaders acknowledge that their AI expectations are growing faster than their ability to meet them
• 65 percent of business leaders believe product management will be critical to company strategy in the coming 12 months, driving innovation, decision-making, and long-term growth across the organization

BOSTON – 15 September 2025 – A new study from Emergn, the global leader transforming the way companies and individuals work forever, reveals a cautionary warning to business leaders betting big on AI to drive revenue growth. While AI initiatives may appear intelligent, strategic, and inevitable, leaders fear that they will ultimately fail if human capabilities and organizational preparedness are overestimated.

According to the survey, 77 percent of business leaders intend to generate revenue from new AI solutions within the next year, yet 57 percent say that AI expectations are growing faster than their ability to meet them.

The growing disconnect between AI ambitions and capabilities

Optimism around future AI projects is expected, considering that 81 percent of global organizations reported a positive return on investment from AI initiatives within the past year. These impressive returns may be leading more than three-quarters of business leaders to forecast future financial gains in the next 12 months.

Nevertheless, many organizations are expected to face significant challenges in keeping pace with rapidly evolving expectations. A majority (57 percent) of global leaders recognize that their AI aspirations are surpassing their current capabilities. The human component cannot be overlooked; 55 percent of global business leaders report that they will be unable to achieve their AI objectives without talent in problem framing, outcome-focused design, and market integration.

This increasing pressure underscores the need for organizations to hire or develop the necessary human expertise in strategic oversight and technological direction, which is crucial for those striving to leverage the potential of AI fully.

Product management’s ascension to prominence

Business leaders are increasingly recognizing that strong product management is essential for bridging the gap between ambition and execution.

In the last 12 months, 87 percent of business leaders reported increased investment in product management, including expanded roles, tools, and processes. This strategic shift is echoed by 65 percent of leaders who believe product management will be critical to their company’s strategy in the coming year, driving innovation, informed decision-making, and sustainable long-term growth, up from just 26 percent who felt the same the year before.

This remarkable jump highlights a growing consensus: effective product management is now viewed as an engine for both operational excellence and competitive advantage.

The rising tide of the Chief Product Officer

Reflecting this shift, product management is rapidly advancing to C-level prominence. In the past 12 months, 43 percent of organizations have appointed a Chief Product Officer (CPO), a notable increase from the previous year when only 31 percent had done so.

The trend signals a deliberate move by organizations to anchor their leadership teams in expertise that not only understands a product-led discipline but can also orchestrate the integration of emerging technologies, particularly AI, across the enterprise. As companies seek to realize the financial and operational gains promised by AI, the CPO’s role becomes even more pivotal.

This shift reinforces a central narrative: closing the gap between AI’s promise and its practical, revenue-generating application requires both visionary leadership and the robust discipline of product management at the highest levels of the organization.

About the study

Emergn’s 2025 Intelligent Delusion Study was conducted by Censuswide with more than 750 leaders at global enterprises. Individuals surveyed included CEOs, CTOs, COOs, and others involved in operational change who have been employed for at least five years at companies with 1,000 or more employees and $500 million or more in revenue.

To learn more about Emergn’s 2025 Global Research Study, visit here.

About Emergn

Emergn improves the way people and companies work. Forever. Emergn works with the world’s most respected businesses – including Fortune 500, FTSE 100, and Global 2000 companies – to help them make the shift from project- to product-centered organizations in how they shape, build, and deliver their products and services, including capability development of their teams using a proven philosophy called Value, Flow, Quality (VFQ).  

VFQ underpins Praxis – Emergn’s AI-driven product platform, which provides product leaders and their teams with the expert guidance and tools they need to build products that succeed in the market. Combining AI-powered guidance, tools that help you build strategy and understand customers, and Emergn’s proven knowledge base, Praxis lets you focus on the deep product work that creates products customers love and competitors can’t match. 

Emergn has its US headquarters in Boston, and its EMEA headquarters in London.

For more information, visit Emergn’s website and follow Emergn on LinkedIn.

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