Survey: 5% data-ready amid $297B AI spend

Dun & Bradstreet’s AI Momentum Survey and a BCC Research industry review landed a day apart this week with a stark split in the market’s numbers. Dun & Bradstreet said on May 13 that 97% of organizations report active AI initiatives, but only 5% say their data is ready to support them at scale. BCC Research said on May 14 that global venture funding in artificial intelligence technology reached about $297 billion in 2024, with 80% to 81% of that money going to AI-focused companies. Together, the reports show companies continuing to spend while many still report basic data and governance gaps. ### How far along are companies, beyond the pilot stage? Dun & Bradstreet surveyed 10,000 businesses and found that AI activity is already widespread inside large organizations. The company said 30% of respondents are scaling AI into production, while 26% are operationalizing it across multiple core processes. Another 56% said they plan to increase AI investment over the next 12 months. (computerworld.com) Cayetano Gea-Carrasco, Dun & Bradstreet’s chief strategy officer, said companies do not need enterprise-wide AI-ready data to launch pilots or isolated use cases. They do need it, he said, to “scale AI reliably across mission-critical workflows and systems.” That distinction helps explain why experimentation can spread faster than full deployment. (computerworld.com) ### What is stopping broader rollout if spending is already high? Only 5% of respondents told Dun & Bradstreet that their data is ready for AI, according to the survey cited by Computerworld. The same report said 50% pointed to problems with access to data, 44% cited privacy and compliance risks, and 40% flagged data quality and integrity concerns. Another 38% reported lack of integration across systems. (computerworld.com) Just 10% of enterprises said with high confidence that they can identify and mitigate AI-related risks, the report said. Gea-Carrasco said the question for companies is no longer whether they are experimenting with AI, but whether they have the data and infrastructure required to deploy it reliably at enterprise scale. (computerworld.com) ### Are companies seeing any return on the money? Dun & Bradstreet said 67% of organizations are seeing “early signs or pockets” of return on investment from AI projects. Another 24% reported “broad or strong” returns, according to the survey results published May 13. Those figures suggest some payback is appearing before many companies have solved the underlying data issues. (computerworld.com) Computerworld reported that Dun & Bradstreet described data-readiness concerns as “even more profound” than in 2025. The publication said enterprises are finding that clean, interoperable and governed data matters more as projects move from trial environments into production workflows. (computerworld.com) ### Where does the $297 billion figure come from? BCC Research said in its State of the Artificial Intelligence Technology Industry: 2026 First Quarter Review that global venture funding in AI technology surged to about $297 billion in 2024. The firm said 80% to 81% of that funding was directed to AI-focused companies. It also said organizations are moving away from pilot programs toward enterprise-wide deployment, with enterprise spending nearly doubling year over year. (computerworld.com) The May 14 release framed that spending as part of a broader expansion in AI use cases, investment and deployment. BCC Research said its first-quarter 2026 review pulled together findings from reports on AI adoption, disruption, use cases, investment trends, explainable AI and higher education. ### What does that mean for the work companies still have to do? (supplychaindigital.com) The 50%, 44% and 40% figures in Dun & Bradstreet’s survey point to operational work rather than model selection alone. The named obstacles were data access, privacy and compliance, and data quality and integrity. Those are the categories companies said are slowing reliable rollout. (supplychaindigital.com) On May 14, BCC Research said enterprise deployment is accelerating toward production scale. On May 13, Dun & Bradstreet said only 5% of organizations believe their data is ready. The next public marker is the companies’ own follow-through: Dun & Bradstreet said 56% of respondents expect to raise AI investment over the next 12 months, while BCC Research’s first-quarter 2026 review is now the cited source for the $297 billion funding figure. (computerworld.com)