SAS Study Shows AIoT Adoption Rising Across Manufacturing and Energy Sectors

A new global study sponsored by SAS finds that the convergence of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (AIoT) is delivering measurable business value across manufacturing and energy industries, announced in a press release. The IDC InfoBrief, *How AIoT Is Reshaping Industrial Efficiency, Security, and Decision-Making*, surveyed over 300 industrial executives worldwide.

According to the findings, 62% of organizations have already adopted AIoT, with another 31% planning to do so. Predictive maintenance is the most common application, used by 71% of respondents, followed by IT automation (53%) and supply and logistics management (47%).

The study reports that 54% of organizations expect major cost savings from AIoT, while 52% anticipate faster innovation and 49% predict streamlined operations. Heavy AIoT users were twice as likely as light users to see benefits exceeding expectations, with fewer than 3% reporting unmet expectations.

However, a shortage of skilled workers was identified as the top barrier to AIoT success, ahead of legacy system integration and data quality issues. High implementation costs and organizational misalignment were also cited as challenges to broader adoption.