Aptean Research Reveals Why General-Purpose AI is Falling Short of Corporate Expectations

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire Aptean Research Reveals Why General-Purpose AI is Falling Short of Corporate ExpectationsAuthor of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.KPI Improvements, Industry-Specific and General-Purpose AI vs. General-Purpose AI Only GNWOrganizations Using Industry-Specific AI Report Better Operational ResultsTHIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountALPHARETTA, Ga., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — One year after an MIT study1 reported 95% of generative AI pilots were failing to deliver measurable value, new international research from Aptean, points to a primary cause: general-purpose AI lacks the relevance and accuracy that businesses demand. The survey also reveals the rise of “Shadow AI” tools, the need for increased governance, and continued optimism for the long-term impact of AI solutions.The Case for Industry-Specific AI Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAptean’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Research found that over the past year companies using vertical, industry-specific AI outperformed those relying solely on general-purpose tools on seven of eight operational key performance indicators measured. “Seventy-seven percent of leaders told us general-purpose AI simply can’t handle the complexity of their operations. That’s not a knock on the technology; it’s a mismatch of design,” TVN Reddy, CEO of Aptean stated. “A generic model doesn’t know your business, your compliance rules, or what success looks like in your industry. Purpose-built AI does, and that’s often the difference between success and failure.”Survey respondents clearly stated their desire for vertical AI solutions, purpose-built for a single industry or function and trained on the data, terminology, and compliance rules specific to that domain. 88% of leaders said purpose-built, industry-specific AI is critical or very important to their business. When asked why they preferred industry-specific solutions, the top three reasons cited were easier integration with existing systems, more relevant and accurate outputs, and better strategic guidance from vendors who understand their sector.The survey identified systems integration as a barrier to AI adoption. Eighty-two percent of respondents said integrating AI with core systems is more difficult than AI technology itself. Most businesses lack this capability in-house and turn to outside vendors for help: 92% of respondents agreed their organization would benefit from external expertise to maximize AI’s value, and integration with existing systems ranked as the top factor in vendor selection.A Call for Governance and Guardrails After the failure of initial AI pilot programs, many employees elected to bypass company-sanctioned tools in favor of outside AI technologies. The research found 40% of employees using these Shadow AI tools at work without formal approval. This behavior stems from three factors: a gap between employee adoption speed and organizational readiness, a lack of sanctioned tools, and individuals are prioritizing their immediate needs over the organization’s governance measures. Despite their own use of Shadow AI, 96% of respondents say a formal AI governance framework — with defined accountability and ethical standards — is necessary, and 75% say the lack of a governance framework is a major barrier to success.This advertisement has not loaded yet.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Despite early failures and governance gaps, companies remain overwhelmingly optimistic about AI and see it as essential to long-term success. In fact, 83% said opportunity is their primary motivator, and 82% agree AI offers clear value that hasn’t been fully realized yet. Rather than reading current failure rates as a reason to pause, respondents see them as a reason to keep investing and gain a competitive advantage.Data Bank and Resources: Preapproved Language, Statistics and Charts are available for publication at https://www.aptean.com/en-US/ai-statistics-data-bank1Challapally et al., The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025, MIT NANDA, July 2025The Aptean 2026 Artificial Intelligence Research is a multi-region study of how organizations are putting artificial intelligence (AI) to work, where it’s paying off, where it isn’t, and why. Aptean commissioned independent research firm Vanson Bourne to survey 1,535 decision-makers at businesses with $10 million or more in annual revenue across six markets (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Germany) and five industries: food and beverage; apparel and soft goods; transportation and distribution; discrete and process manufacturing; and equipment dealers, plus a cross-sector supply chain cut. Participants were business and IT leaders, from the C-suite to management, with direct involvement in their organization’s AI strategy and influence on decisions relating to enterprise resource planning (ERP) or supply chain management (SCM) systems.Aptean is an AI company built for industrial business. For medium and enterprise manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers facing rising costs, shrinking margins, and operational complexity, Aptean embeds AI directly into the workflows, decisions, and data your business already runs on – so intelligence isn’t a bolt-on, it’s how the work gets done. The result: faster decisions, lower costs, and measurable margin improvement delivered through an ongoing partnership, not a one-off implementation. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, with offices across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Learn more at aptean.com.Vanson Bourne is an independent specialist in market research for the technology sector. Their reputation for robust and credible research-based analysis is founded upon rigorous research principles and our ability to seek the opinions of senior decision makers across technical and business functions, in all business sectors and all major markets. For more information, visit www.vansonbourne.com.For translated versions of the research report, please reach out to our media team directly.North America: Heather Coyle, heather.coyle@aptean.comInternational: Geraldine O’Neill, geraldine.oneill@aptean.comGeneral Media Inquiries: MediaRelations@aptean.comNotice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.