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WEF: AI moves beyond experimentation to deliver real-world results

Published Jan 20, 2026 11:05 am

Global organizations are beginning to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) at scale, embedding it into core decision-making and operations, according to a report by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF).

WEF’s report, released Monday, Jan. 19, highlighted how AI is being deployed at scale in real-world settings, drawing on insights from its Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions (MINDS) program.

Produced in collaboration with global professional services giant Accenture, the report titled “Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations” analyzes hundreds of AI use cases across more than 30 countries and 20 industries, including healthcare, energy, and infrastructure.

The report found that an independent impact council of executives and experts identified shared characteristics among the most effective and scalable AI applications, including integration of AI into strategic decision-making, redesigned workflows to enhance human-AI collaboration, stronger data foundations, modernized technology platforms, and robust responsible governance.

“AI offers extraordinary potential, yet many organizations remain unsure about how to realize it,” said WEF managing director and chief technology officer Stephan Mergenthaler.

“The selected use cases show what is possible when ambition is translated into operational transformation, and our new report provides a practical guide to help others follow the path these leaders have set,” Mergenthaler added.

“The inaugural MINDS program cohorts demonstrate that the journey to impactful and responsible AI adoption is neither linear nor uniform,” the report stressed, noting that across hundreds of organizations and industries, the most successful transformations were driven by a combination of long-term strategic vision, strong data foundations, modernized technology stacks, and a commitment to workforce empowerment.

While the report highlighted current shifts, MINDS applications also point to emerging trends expected to strengthen as AI adoption scales, including improved AI reliability and explainability, greater use of collaborative and privacy-preserving data ecosystems, and clearer standards to build trust and support effective collaboration.

“By sharing practical insights, measurable outcomes, and lessons learned from real-world pioneers, the MINDS program serves as a beacon for others to accelerate their own AI ambitions, from experimentation to meaningful transformation,” the report added.

“Trusted, advanced AI can transform businesses, but it requires organizing data and processes to achieve the best of technology and—this is key—it also requires human ingenuity to maximize returns on AI investments,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer at Accenture. “We encourage organizations to have a clear game plan and focus on responsible innovation as they seek to implement and scale AI.”

The report concluded that as the MINDS ecosystem evolves, the combination of foundational and emerging insights will be critical for organizations aiming to unlock sustainable value and shape a future in which AI benefits both business and society.

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