In the race to unlock AI’s full potential, knowing where you stand is half the battle. Across every industry, the pressure to “do more with AI” is rising. But while investment is booming, outcomes are not keeping pace. According to Eurostat, 41% of large enterprises in the EU are already using AI – yet most are stuck in pilot mode, unable to scale solutions across the organisation.
Not technical potential, but organisational readiness: strategy, culture, data foundations and governance. Without these in place, even the smartest AI tools won’t deliver lasting impact.
The AI Maturity gap is real
AI doesn’t deliver value out of the box. To make it work at scale, businesses need strong alignment across six critical pillars:
- Strategy: A clear vision for how AI creates value.
- Governance: Structures to manage risk, ethics and accountability.
- Data: The fuel that powers everything.
- Technology & infrastructure: scalable, interoperable platforms.
- Culture: A mindset open to experimentation and an organisation designed to accelerate change.
- Expertise: The right skills in the right places.
At Sopra Steria Next, our experience shows that most organisations are strong in a few of these areas – but are weak in others. And it’s often the hidden gaps that cause AI programmes to stall.
That’s why assessing your AI maturity matters. It gives you a clear-eyed view of your strengths and blind spots. It helps you prioritise. And it creates a roadmap you can act on.
It pays to take this seriously
The business case is compelling. In 2024, research from the Tony Blair Institute projected that AI adoption in the UK private sector could boost GDP by up to 16% over the coming decades. In the public sector, the Financial Times reported that generative AI could save the UK Government as much as £45 billion a year.
But those numbers won’t happen by accident. They’ll come from organisations that have done the work to get ready – structurally, culturally and strategically.
Your next step: Take the AI Maturity self-assessment test
At Sopra Steria Next, we have created a quick, structured assessment tool to help you benchmark your AI maturity across the six pillars. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete and gives you a personalised report with:
A clear view of your organisation’s current AI readiness.
Priority areas for improvement.
Actionable recommendations to help you accelerate progress.
Whether you’re just getting started or already running advanced use cases, it’s a powerful way to spark internal alignment – and build the case for your next investment.