The ROI of AI 2025

The report is based on a survey of 3,466 senior leaders at global enterprises with more than $10 million in annual revenue, conducted by Google Cloud and National Research Group. It benchmarks the business and financial impact of gen AI among organizations using it in production. Selected practical case studies in the report are provided by the Zenphi team.

Yes. The research shows that 88% of executives from agentic AI early-adopter organizations report ROI now on at least one gen AI use case, compared with 74% across all organizations surveyed. Platforms like Zenphi can help organizations move AI into repeatable workflows where outcomes, actions, and approvals can be measured rather than leaving AI isolated in experiments.

The report identifies five leading impact areas: productivity, customer experience, business growth, marketing, and security. Workflow platforms such as Zenphi can help teams connect AI models to the operational steps around these use cases — including data collection, approvals, system updates, communications, and audit trails.

The research finds that 52% of executives whose organizations use gen AI say their organizations also leverage AI agents in production, while 39% say their organization has launched more than 10 AI agents. Platforms like Zenphi can provide an execution and orchestration layer for organizations that need agents to interact with Google Workspace, business applications, deterministic logic, and human review.

Early adopters combine deeper production experience with stronger organizational commitment. The report describes organizations allocating at least half of their future AI budget to agents, deploying multiple agents across operations, and securing dedicated budgets and executive support. Platforms such as Zenphi can support that scaling stage by turning individual AI capabilities into governed, reusable business workflows.

The report shows a strong relationship between leadership alignment and returns: 78% of executives at organizations with comprehensive C-level sponsorship report seeing ROI now on at least one gen AI use case. A platform like Zenphi does not replace that strategic sponsorship, but it can help translate approved AI initiatives into controlled workflows that business and technology teams can operate together.

The report highlights priorities including measuring AI impact, deploying AI agents, improving data and knowledge management, governing AI risk, aligning business and technology teams, upskilling staff, and providing the right tooling and compute resources. Workflow platforms like Zenphi can sit within that tooling layer when organizations need to connect AI to real business processes and existing applications.

The report points toward a repeatable pattern: prioritize use cases with clear business value, move them into production, measure outcomes, secure leadership support, and reinvest in the areas that demonstrate returns. Platforms such as Zenphi can help operationalize that approach by combining AI with workflow logic, integrations, approvals, human oversight, and auditable execution.