Wharton Analyzes GenAI Adoption in Report

A top business school is sharing a report on generative AI adoption among companies.

AI at Wharton released last month the report "Growing Up: Navigating Gen AI’s Early Years," which it produced with GBK Collective, a marketing consulting firm. AI at Wharton is part of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Wharton's 76-page report analyzes the adoption, applications and prospects of GenAI in business. It is based on a survey of over 800 senior business leaders who work in companies with 1,000 or more employees.

The report is intended to offer insights to companies that are "navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI" and balancing innovation with "practical business outcomes."

Key Findings

• GenAI Usage
• GenAI Tasks
• GenAI Sentiment
• GenAI ROI

GenAI Usage

• Weekly usage of GenAI has nearly doubled from 37% in 2023 to 72% in 2024
• There was significant growth in slower-adopting departments, such as marketing and HR

GenAI Tasks

• GenAI excels in various specific tasks, such as data analysis, idea generation and contract drafting
• GenAI is not yet viewed as transformative across all business functions
  

GenAI Sentiment

• Sentiment shifted from feelings of “curiosity” and “amazement” to more positive sentiments, such as “pleased” and “excited”
• Concerns about AI replacing jobs have softened

GenAI ROI

• Companies still face challenges in determining the full impact and return on investment (ROI) of GenAI
• GenAI investments will focus on scaling use cases and refining organizational structures to support sustainable AI adoption

Wharton says companies are transitioning from "initial excitement to deeper experimentation and efforts to prove the return on investment."