How widely manufacturers have adopted AI
Enterprise AI use jumped from about 35% of organisations in 2023 to roughly 67% in 2025, according to the Stanford AI Index. In manufacturing specifically, surveys put the share of firms using AI in some form around half. Adoption has moved from early experiment to mainstream within a few years.
Source: Stanford HAI — AI Index Report 2025 (2025)
What it means
Doubling in roughly two years means AI is no longer a competitive edge for early movers — it is becoming table stakes. For a plant that has not started, the relevant question has shifted from 'should we?' to 'where do we get the fastest, lowest-risk return?' — usually maintenance, energy or quality.
Context
Adoption figures vary by survey and by how 'using AI' is defined, but the trend is consistent across sources: a steep rise in the share of organisations deploying AI, including in manufacturing and heavy industry. The practical reading is that the technology and the skills to apply it are diffusing quickly, lowering the risk of being an early adopter.
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Related topics
AI Agents for Industrial Maintenance: What They Are and Where They Help · Generative AI in Manufacturing: Practical Examples · Generative AI · Large Language Model (LLM) · Machine Learning (Industrial)
Relevant to: Chemicals · Food Processing · Pharmaceuticals