Global Survey Reveals Growing AI Adoption Gap As Organizations Struggle with Talent, Technology, Governance Readiness
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, in partnership with North Carolina State University's Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Initiative, released a global study examining how executives perceive the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) across regions, industries, and organizational sizes.
The survey, including responses from 1,735 executives across eight regions and eight industries, points to an increasingly uneven AI landscape across the enterprise: while a subset of "AI-Transformed Entities" is capitalizing on strategic gains, most organizations lack the talent, systems, and governance capabilities required to deploy AI effectively.
"Executive teams and boards must recognize that AI's benefits and risks rise in tandem. Governance, talent, and infrastructure are critical, not optional," notes Mark Beasley, Alan T. Dickson Distinguished Professor and director of the ERM Initiative at North Carolina State.
Beasley added, "This research underscores that organizations with a deliberate approach to readiness are already pulling ahead in measurable ways."
A core finding of the study is the emergence of a growing gap between AI early adopters and everyone else. Among the 453 "early adopter" organizations reporting "mostly" or "extensively" that AI is already impacting their business model:
73 percent say AI is providing strategic advantage.
54 percent worry competitors may leverage AI more effectively.
Risk vigilance increases dramatically: 69 percent classify AI as a top 10 or major risk concern.
Board-level attention is also higher: 65 percent report that AI risk is a focus of executive leadership (vs. 30 percent overall).
Officials said these results indicate that organizations achieving meaningful AI integration are simultaneously gaining strategic lift and facing escalating pressure to manage emerging risks.
Despite rising enthusiasm around AI, most organizations remain operationally unprepared.
Across the entire sample:
Only 24-27 percent report having adequate AI-skilled talent, IT system readiness, or regulatory preparedness.
Smaller organizations are the least equipped: fewer than 1 in 5 have the required talent or systems.
In contrast, AI-Transformed entities are nearly twice as prepared across talent (50 percent), IT (48 percent), and regulatory readiness (51 percent) metrics.
Officials said this readiness divide suggests that early adopters are reinforcing their strategic lead through deliberate capability building, while slower adopters risk falling further behind.
"AI is no longer a peripheral innovation, it's a strategic accelerant separating organizations that are building foundational capabilities from those still exploring its potential," said Tom Hood, executive vice president of Business Growth & Engagement at AICPA. "The data shows a widening gap and early adopters are gaining competitive advantage while also taking AI risks more seriously. Leaders who invest in readiness today will shape the opportunity curve tomorrow."
AI's Impact Varies Dramatically by Geography and Industry
Regional Trends -- Emerging markets show the strongest levels of AI-driven business model transformation:
South Africa, Central and South Asia, and East/Southeast Asia report 36-42 percent strategic impact and advantage.
North America and Europe trail significantly at 18-22 percent, signaling more cautious or incremental adoption.
These high-adoption regions also report the fastest-evolving risk profiles and higher levels of executive/board attention to AI risks.
Industry Dynamics -- Industries with deep data dependencies and operational complexity show the strongest AI momentum:
Mining leads all sectors (45 percent business model impact; 48 percent strategic advantage).
Professional and Business Services, and Transportation report accelerated adoption tied to automation and analytics.
Financial Services shows heightened competitive concern (33 percent worried competitors will outpace them).
Sectors like Construction and Wholesale/Retail remain slower due to fragmented operations and legacy infrastructure.
These patterns underscore the direct relationship between use-case clarity, data richness, and AI value capture.
Across the full sample, 46 percent of organizations now classify AI as either a top 10 risk or a major risk concern. That figure climbs to 69 percent among AI-Transformed organizations -- clear evidence that AI benefits and AI risks scale together.
The risk landscape is also evolving quickly:
26 percent of all organizations say AI risks are changing "mostly" or "extensively."
That number reaches 60 percent for AI-Transformed entities.
Industries such as Financial Services and Services report the most rapid evolution of AI risks and the highest levels of board engagement.
AICPA and CIMA officials say this signals the growing need for robust governance, model risk management, and cross-functional oversight as AI moves from experimentation to enterprise integration.
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And … AI Is Slowing Hiring, HR Leaders Say
New research released by Robert Half finds that the rise of AI-generated applications is dragging out hiring timelines, a sharp reversal from the productivity gains many expected.
According to the survey of HR leaders:
67 percent of HR leaders say AI-generated applications are slowing the hiring process, with 1 in 5 reporting delays of 2+ weeks
84 percent of HR teams report heavier workloads as AI-tailored applications surge.
65 percent of hiring managers say AI-enhanced resumes make skills harder to verify.
Officials say AI has made it easier for job seekers to generate high-volume applications, and as a result, it is creating noise, bottlenecks and risk for hiring teams already stretched thin.
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Stono River Project
The Stono River, a vital Lowcountry waterway, is both ecologically rich and culturally significant.
Once the site of the 1739 Stono Rebellion, it remains a living symbol of resilience. Today, however, the river faces mounting threats from erosion, overdevelopment, declining water quality, and climate change.
Through a multi-year partnership between Charleston Waterkeeper, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement (SCORE) program, and Cummins Inc., the Stono River Project aims to restore the river’s health and resilience by building living shorelines.
Officials say this approach combines manufactured wire reefs with oyster shell and Spartina marsh grass plantings to stabilize eroding banks, improve water quality, and create habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp, and birds.
“This project is a significant investment in the health and resilience of the Stono River and everyone that depends on it. We’re proud to work with Cummins and the Department of Natural Resources to ensure the long-term health of the river for future generations,” said Andrew Wunderley, executive director and waterkeeper.
“SCDNR is excited to partner with Charleston Waterkeeper on our first official funded grant together. To have the support of Cummins is a great opportunity to have a private, nonprofit, and state partnership,” said Michael Hodges of SCDNR SCORE.
Year one of the project focuses on Restoration Project Site 1 (259 meters of shoreline) on the Stono River, where volunteers and partners will build and install 354 manufactured wire reefs and plant 5,000 Spartina plugs.
This effort will create 7,000 square feet of living shoreline, filtering millions of gallons of water daily while buffering surrounding communities from flooding and erosion. More than 200 volunteers, including employees from Cummins, will be engaged through hands-on fabrication and installation events.
Officials say this project builds a strong foundation for future partnership in the years ahead.
Restoration sites 2 and 3 are planned for 2027 and 2028, creating nearly a mile of restored shoreline in total.
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Clemson, Michelin North America, Inc. Announce Renewed Partnership to Support Center for Career and Professional Development
Since its arrival in South Carolina more than 50 years ago, Michelin has been a steadfast supporter of Clemson University and its efforts to develop student skills for global career opportunities.
As a story by Clemson News outlines, the world-leading manufacturer, which employs nearly 10,000 people across the state, has expanded its support of Clemson and the new location for the Center for the Career and Professional Development (CCPD) presented by Michelin.
Clemson News is the most up-to-date source for information about the work, outcomes, and impact of Clemson University’s faculty, staff, and students.
It notes the CCPD presented by Michelin houses the center for career services, the Cooperative Education Program, and the University Professional Internship and Co-op Program (UPIC).
The center, which had been housed in the Hendrix Student Center, moved into a new 15,000-square-foot space at the Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center last year.
“Giving people a better way forward is what we do at Michelin. This tremendous partnership with Clemson University is one more way we can help students achieve their dreams,” said Matthew Cabe, president and CEO of Michelin North America, Inc. “By connecting world-class education with hands-on experience, we are opening doors to meaningful careers that will shape tomorrow. When we invest in students, we are investing in the future, and I am excited to see what the students who walk this campus will accomplish.”
“Michelin’s decades-long relationship with Clemson University exemplifies the strategic mutual benefits that are gained when an innovative industry leader partners with a leading research university to develop top talent, advance discovery, and create impact in the State and globally,” said Angie Leidinger, Clemson’s senior vice president for External Affairs.
Through the years, Clemson has helped build upon the talent in the STEM pipeline for industry through the services offered by the Center for Career and Professional Development, which connect educational experiences with professional aspirations.
The center has consistently been ranked as one of the nation’s best, being named No. 1 in career services by the Princeton Review in five of the last 10 years.
“Clemson is incredibly grateful for the historical support Michelin has provided to our career services programming,” said Neil Burton, executive director of the CCPD.
Burton added, “We are excited to enter into a new collaboration with Michelin to build leaders in the technology sector through engaging students in career development and experiential learning activities empowering them to successfully pursue their educational and professional goals.”
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