There's a disconnect happening inside many organizations right now, and it has nothing to do with AI tools. It's about what people want to do with AI, according to findings from our 2026 State of AI for Business report.
The majority of the 2,100 professionals who responded to our survey pointed to productivity as their primary goal for AI. And that makes sense. Getting more done in less time is a real, immediate, tangible win. But break down which roles value that the most, and there are differences inside organizations.
This Creates a Strategy Problem
Managers and specialists overwhelmingly want AI to help them work faster. Nearly half of each group — 48% and 47% respectively — name increased productivity as their top priority. They're focused on today's workload, today's deadlines, today's deliverables.
CEOs, founders, and presidents? They're thinking more long term. Only 32% of them cite productivity as their primary goal. Nearly 4 in 10 (39%) say innovation is what they're after. That's almost double the rate of any other role in the survey.
Same tool. Same organization. Two different visions of success.
This disconnect is a people and strategy problem. When leaders are investing in AI to build things that don't exist yet, and their teams are using it to get through their day’s tasks faster, the gap between those two outcomes can quietly stall momentum.
Closing that gap starts with understanding it. That means getting clear on who in your organization needs what from AI and making sure the way you're learning, training, and deploying it reflects your organization’s priority goals.
Check Out the Full Report
This is just one data point from a report full of them. You can read and download the complete 2026 State of AI for Business Report for more insights on organizational readiness, training gaps, governance, and more.
