Artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimentation and into the day-to-day realities of physical operations. Drawing on a survey of 1,550 operations leaders across 21 industries and seven countries, this report examines how organisations are using AI to improve safety, turn operational data into practical insights and help employees work more productively.

The findings show strong momentum, but also a measured approach. At the time of the survey, 51% of organisations were already using AI, while 68% of adopters described their use as limited, piloting or preliminary. Even at these early stages, every organisation using AI reported at least one benefit.

What you will learn

• Where AI is delivering value: improved safety and data and analytics were each cited by 45% of AI users, followed by operational efficiency at 43% and employee productivity at 42%.
• How the workforce is responding: 90% of leaders using AI said their employees felt positive about the technology, reflecting its role in improving everyday safety and efficiency.
• How organisations are deploying AI responsibly: 58% were implementing privacy and data protection measures, 57% were establishing AI ethics and principles, and 54% were working to mitigate bias.
• What leaders expect next: the most desired areas for AI-powered insights over the following five years were supply chain resource management, driver behaviour or safety analytics, and risk mitigation.
• How to assess an AI partner: 63% planned to adopt solutions from an external partner, with integration, access to large-scale data sets, and security and privacy compliance among the leading selection priorities.

For fleet, operations, safety and technology leaders, the report provides adoption benchmarks, investment priorities and a practical AI Partner Preparedness Guide to support more informed decisions.