IBM Study Finds Two-Thirds of EMEA Enterprises Report Productivity Gains from AI

November 06, 2025
A new IBM study shows that 66% of enterprises in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have reported significant productivity improvements from AI adoption, though smaller firms and public sector organizations are lagging behind.

A new study from IBM finds that enterprises across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) are already seeing substantial productivity improvements from artificial intelligence, announced in a press release. The research surveyed 3,500 senior executives across ten countries, with 66% reporting significant operational productivity gains from using AI.

About one in five respondents said their organizations have already met return on investment goals for AI-driven productivity initiatives. A further 42% expect to achieve ROI within the next 12 months. The areas benefiting most from AI adoption include software development and IT, customer service, and procurement.

The study indicates that small and medium-sized enterprises and public sector organizations are lagging behind larger private firms in realizing AI-related productivity gains. It also highlights transparency, interoperability, and choice as key factors for accelerating AI deployment, while identifying security, privacy, and ethical concerns as major barriers to scaling successful AI pilots.

The report concludes with five priorities for enterprise leaders aiming to accelerate ROI from their AI initiatives.

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