Industry Today: Why AI Pilots Stall in Manufacturing

by Shane Kehoe via Industry Today

Operational Infrastructure, Not AI Capability, Is the Real Constraint

Manufacturers are investing heavily in AI, but most remain stuck in pilot mode. The challenge is not a lack of ambition, funding, or AI capability — it is operational readiness.

While manufacturers are deploying AI across predictive maintenance, computer vision and supply chain forecasting, most organizations have not yet scaled these initiatives enterprise- wide. McKinsey research shows that nearly two-thirds of organizations have not begun scaling AI across the enterprise, with only about one-third report reaching a scaling stage.

This scaling gap is also evident in manufacturing specifically. Deloitte's 2025 Smart Manufacturing and Operations Survey finds that only 29% of manufacturers have deployed AI and machine learning at scale across facilities, despite widespread investment in smart manufacturing initiatives. At the same time, McKinsey highlights that the gap between digital and AI leaders and laggards has widened by approximately 60% over the past three years, reflecting a compounding advantage among more mature organizations.

Based on World Wide Technology's work with more than 100 global manufacturers, the organizations seeing the greatest success are not necessarily those with the most advanced AI models, but those investing first in the data, integration and operational foundations required to scale AI reliably across the enterprise.