Overview

 AI has moved from experiment to everyday tool. Almost every organisation in our research now uses it, and AI is the area where most plan to increase investment in 2027. But using AI is not the same as getting value from it, and the gap between the two is where many leaders now find themselves.

This report draws on Aurora Live’s 2027 Executive Outlook survey, built around the themes of the Aurora Live Executive Days in November 2026. It looks at how organisations use AI, what value it delivers, how their concerns change as AI spreads, and what it means for the leaders who have to steer it.

This is the second of two reports from this survey. The first covered priorities, investment, uncertainty and execution. This report goes deeper into AI, comparing organisations at different stages of AI adoption to show what peers further ahead are doing, and what they are still struggling with.