Technology leaders face urgent mandate to scale Gen AI, overcome barriers and drive business value
The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), a leading generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) strategic consultancy and executive advisory firm, today announced the findings of its 2025 Key Issues Study, revealing that 89% of enterprises are actively advancing Gen AI initiatives – a seismic shift from just 16% in the prior year. With customer experience, market expansion and product innovation emerging as the top business objectives for 2025, executives expect Gen AI to play a key role in delivering these priorities.
“Companies have moved from exploration to acceleration in Gen AI,” said Kyle McNabb, principal, Research, The Hackett Group. “They’re no longer asking ‘if’ AI will transform business operations, but ‘how fast’ they can implement it to drive measurable value.” CIOs are leading the charge in scaling AI adoption to redefine performance and unlock competitive advantage.
Key findings: The CIO’s Gen AI mandate for 2025
- Gen AI is a strategic imperative: Over 50% of organizations plan to use Gen AI specifically to improve the customer experience – solidifying its role in business transformation.
- Gen AI is creating tangible business value: Companies report gains in deliverable quality, process and worker productivity, and customer and employee experiences. Some are reporting transformative improvements of 40% or greater in specified areas, underscoring the potential of Gen AI when implemented effectively.
- Breaking barriers to Gen AI at scale: Most companies are still early in their Gen AI journeys. Many struggle with data quality, process complexity, workforce readiness and setting realistic expectations. Both technology and business leaders will be key to enabling collaboration, establishing a strong foundation, and choosing the right deployment model to scale Gen AI across the enterprise. Approximately 34% of companies are executing Gen AI strategies directly through the chief information officer (CIO), while others are adopting decentralized models that embed Gen AI delivery teams into business functions.
Gen AI will not wait – neither can CIOs
The report underscores that while executive sponsorship and investment in Gen AI are strong, the real challenge lies in execution. Companies need to streamline Gen AI deployment models, define and carve out budgets, upskill talent, and define realistic expectations of operational improvements to transition from project-based experimentation to enterprise-scale impact.
CIOs who act with urgency will lead the next wave of AI-driven transformation. Enterprises that delay adoption risk being outpaced by more agile, AI-first competitors.
Download the full 2025 CIO Agenda report.
About The Hackett Group®
The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT) is an IP and platform-based, Gen AI strategic consulting and executive advisory firm that enables Digital World Class® performance. Using AI XPLR™ and ZBrain™ – our ideation through implementation platforms – our experienced professionals help organizations realize the power of Gen AI and achieve quantifiable, breakthrough results, allowing us to be key architects of their Gen AI journey.
Our expertise is grounded in unparalleled best practices insights from benchmarking the world’s leading businesses – including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 89% of the Fortune 100, 70% of the DAX 40 and 55% of the FTSE 100. Visit us at www.thehackettgroup.com.
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This release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements including without limitation, words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” or other similar phrases or variations of such words or similar expressions indicating, present or future anticipated or expected occurrences or outcomes are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may impact such forward-looking statements include without limitation, the ability of The Hackett Group to effectively market its digital transformation, our ability to transition our capabilities to support generative artificial intelligence (AI)-related consulting services and solutions and other consulting services, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions, including the LeewayHertz acquisition into our operations, our ability to manage joint ventures and successfully cooperate with our joint venture partners, competition from other consulting and technology companies that may have or develop in the future, similar offerings, the commercial viability of The Hackett Group and its services as well as other risk detailed in The Hackett Group’s reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Hackett Group does not undertake any duty to update this release or any forward-looking statements contained herein.
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The Hackett Group's 2025 Key Issues Study reveals that 89% of enterprises are actively advancing Gen AI initiatives – a seismic shift from just 16% in the prior year.
