HTEC Research Reveals the Real AI Scaling Challenge: It’s Not the Technology

Global executive survey finds AI momentum is real—but leadership alignment, capability gaps, and ROI clarity are slowing enterprise impact

AI has moved from ambition to action. Every organization is deploying it. Yet for most enterprises, the real challenge is only just beginning.

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HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design and engineering services, released Executive Summary: A Cross‑Industry View of the State of AI in 2025, a global research report capturing how senior executives are navigating the next phase of AI transformation—and why scaling value remains elusive.

Today, HTEC, a global AI‑first provider of software and hardware design and engineering services, released Executive Summary: A Cross‑Industry View of the State of AI in 2025, a global research report that captures how senior executives are navigating the next phase of AI transformation—and why scaling value remains elusive.

Based on insights from 1,529 C‑suite executives worldwide, the research offers one of the most comprehensive leadership perspectives to date on where AI is delivering impact, where it is stalling, and what separates experimentation from enterprise‑wide advantage.

AI Is Everywhere—But Rarely Fully Embedded

The data reveals a clear inflection point. AI adoption is now universal: 100% of organizations report active AI deployment. But scale remains the exception, not the rule.

Only 45% of executives say AI is fully embedded across multiple functions or products. The majority report fragmented deployments—AI running in pockets, pilots, or isolated initiatives rather than as a coordinated operating model.

For HTEC, this mirrors what clients experience on the ground. The challenge is no longer proving AI works. It is turning promising use cases into integrated systems and workflows that deliver measurable, repeatable ROI.

Where AI Momentum Breaks Down

Executives are remarkably aligned on why progress slows.

The first fracture point isn’t model performance—it’s integration.
The most frequently cited barrier is the difficulty of embedding AI into existing processes and legacy systems (43%). This is where initiatives stall, ownership fragments, and value erodes.

Internal capability gaps make “build everything in‑house” unrealistic.
As AI moves deeper into core operations, leaders acknowledge that shortages in critical technical skills create execution bottlenecks that compound over time.

Unclear prioritization and ROI force a shift in execution strategy.
With limited internal capacity and AI literacy to evaluate and scale multiple initiatives in parallel, executives increasingly plan to rely on specialized partners and third‑party platforms to accelerate deployment, reduce risk, and focus internal teams where they create the most value.

The message is consistent across industries: AI success is now constrained by organizational readiness, not algorithmic potential.

Edge AI Moves From Experimental to Essential

The research also highlights a decisive shift in how leaders view edge and embedded AI.

Edge AI is no longer seen as optional or experimental. Ninety‑two percent of executives report strong familiarity with edge capabilities and express confidence in deploying AI closer to where data is generated, and decisions are made—particularly to improve security, resilience, regulatory control, and performance in constrained environments.

At the same time, leaders are pragmatic about what it takes to scale. Most plan a blended approach: combining specialized partners, third‑party platforms, and selective in‑house development. The goal is speed without sacrificing control—and long‑term ownership without slowing execution.

The Cost of Inaction Is Measured in Years

Executives are acutely aware of the stakes. They estimate that failing to act on AI and edge opportunities could set their organizations back by nearly two years.

In response, most leaders are targeting one‑ to three‑year horizons to validate use cases, deploy enterprise roadmaps, upskill their workforce, and launch new AI‑enabled revenue streams.

Yet confidence remains fragile. Only 25% of executives believe their organization can adopt and scale AI rapidly. Another 22% expect selective adoption with slower scaling. Thirty‑one percent say they can experiment but struggle to capture value, while 22% admit they are already falling behind.

Taken together, the findings suggest a sobering reality: three in four organizations risk turning AI momentum into missed advantage unless they address structural, operational, and leadership barriers.

From Projects to Operating Model

“The next phase of AI is not about more pilots,” said Lawrence Whittle, Chief Strategy Officer at HTEC. “It’s about defining bold ambitions, redesigning end‑to‑end processes, and scaling AI through modular, enterprise‑wide roadmaps. Organizations that succeed will be those that treat AI as a core operating model—not a collection of projects.”

To explore the full findings and executive insights from the report, download Executive Summary: A Cross-Industry View of the State of AI in 2025.

About the Report

The report was commissioned by HTEC and conducted by Censuswide. It includes the insights from 1,529 C-suite leaders across the USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, spanning CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, CFOs, COOs, CPOs, and CSOs across industries, including financial services, healthcare, automotive, telecommunications, retail, and semiconductors.

About HTEC

HTEC Group Inc. is a global AI-first provider of strategic, software and hardware embedded design and engineering services, specializing in Advanced Technologies, Financial Services, MedTech, Automotive, Telco, and Enterprise Software & Platforms. HTEC has a proven track record of helping Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies solve complex engineering challenges, drive efficiency, reduce risks, and accelerate time to market. HTEC prides itself on attracting top talent and has strategically chosen the locations of its 20+ excellence centers to enable this.

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