New Akkodis Report Finds Enterprises See Real AI Productivity Gains; Scaling Remains the Barrier to ROI

” The capability curve: Building the next generation digital enterprise” report reveals how to bridge worker optimism and leadership caution by aligning systems, governance and human oversight to scale AI responsibly to unlock enterprise value.

Akkodis, a global digital engineering consulting company, announced the release of its latest report, The capability curve: Building the next generation digital enterprise. Drawing on insights from more than 2,000 business leaders (including 500 CTOs) and 37,500 workers worldwide, the report explores how leaders and employees can co-create AI-confident enterprises that combine human oversight with scalable, responsible AI systems.

The report reveals a defining paradox: while workers are growing more confident in their ability to work with AI, many leaders remain cautious about scaling, governance, and skills.

“AI transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people, trust, structure and shared capability,” said Jo Debecker, President and CEO, Akkodis. “This report shows that optimism from the workforce must be matched with system-level confidence from leadership. That’s how enterprises turn experimentation into enduring performance.”

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Key findings

• Confidence gap: 75% of workers say their leaders have sufficient AI knowledge (up from 46% in 2024), while only 62% of leaders are confident in their AI implementation strategies—a 20-point decline from last year.
• Capability challenge: CTOs cite skills gaps as their biggest barrier to transformation, yet just 20% use technology to track or support employee skill growth.
• Productivity and purpose: Workers report saving two hours per day through AI—time reinvested into creativity and strategy—signalling real productivity potential that leaders aim to embed sustainably across enterprise systems.
• Resilient scaling: 57% of CTOs expect AI to reduce workforce size over the next five years, but 59% plan to redeploy employees internally, underscoring a shift toward sustainable workforce adaptation.

From insight to action

The report outlines six actions to build AI-confident enterprises:

1. Turn optimism into alignment
2. Redesign skills as a partnership
3. Elevate AI as a leadership tool
4. Embed trust in hybrid workflows
5. Scale systems with confidence
6. Build a culture of shared accountability

By following these actions, organizations embed humans in the loop at every stage of AI adoption. This is the essence of an AI-confident enterprise and the next frontier of digital transformation.

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Bridging the human and technical divide

Case studies featured in the report demonstrate how organizations are embedding AI into real-world operations—from healthcare manufacturers optimizing supply and demand in seconds to engineering teams connecting digital twins and model-based systems for traceable, scalable innovation.

Together, these examples illustrate the report’s central theme: the future of digital transformation depends on technology amplifying human potential and capability, rather than replacing it.

This report was developed from three major studies—Adecco Group’s Global Workforce of the Future and Business Leaders 2025 reports (Humanity at work: How to thrive in the AI era and Leading in the Age of AI: Expectations versus reality), along with Akkodis’ 2025 What CTOs Think: Using digital transformation to scale skills and unlock enterprise potential.