Gurobi’s 2026 State of Mathematical Optimization Report Reveals Growing Convergence of AI and Optimization

Survey finds GenAI use is on the rise as organizations embed optimization deeper into everyday operations.

Gurobi Optimization, LLC, the leader in decision intelligence technology, today announced the release of its 2026 State of Mathematical Optimization Report. Based on a survey of 382 non-academic professionals across industries, the report examines how businesses are putting optimization to work, and how its use is evolving alongside other AI technologies.

In a notable shift, 79% of respondents now use GenAI or large language models (LLMs) in their optimization work, up from 30% in 2025, with 37% using these tools systematically in their development workflows. Respondents see the greatest potential for this combined approach in code generation and debugging (68%), model formulation (67%), and natural-language interaction with optimization models (62%).

Other key findings include:

• Optimization is becoming part of everyday operations: 52% of respondents say optimization supports ongoing decision-making at their organization, and 45% run it automatically in production workflows.
• Demand for optimization talent remains strong: 97% report that the number of applied optimization professionals at their organization is growing or holding steady.
• Teams are tackling more complex problems: The share of respondents solving multi-objective problems rose from 32% in 2025 to 40% in 2026.
• Combining machine learning with optimization reached a new high: 90% of respondents combine the two technologies on at least one project, up from 81% in each of the previous three years.
• AI and speed are shaping the field: Respondents named AI integration (67%) and faster real-time decision-making (57%) as the trends most affecting their optimization work.

“The next opportunity for mathematical optimization isn’t just solving more complex problems. It’s about bringing powerful decision-making capabilities to more people and areas of the business,” said Duke Perrucci, CEO, Gurobi. “As optimization becomes increasingly integrated with business operations and other AI technologies, we’re seeing the foundations of a new generation of intelligent decision-making systems.”

The 2026 State of Mathematical Optimization Report is available for download on the Gurobi website.

About Gurobi

Gurobi is the world’s most powerful optimization solver, built to help organizations determine the optimal course of action when faced with complex, real-world decision problems. As an integral AI technology, Gurobi applies mathematical optimization to transform data into reliable, defensible decisions.

Organizations across industries use Gurobi to optimize supply chains, allocate resources, price products, and manage risk—allowing them to act quickly, model complex systems without compromise, and make decisions they can stand behind.

Founded in 2008, Gurobi has operations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It serves customers in over 40 industries, including leading organizations like SAP, Air France, and the National Football League. For more information, please visit https://www.gurobi.com/ or call +1 (713) 871-9341.

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