Success in AI today isn’t just about adopting cutting-edge tools — it’s about embedding AI into the very fabric of business operations. In collaboration with Databricks, for the second year in a row we surveyed 400 senior AI professionals to uncover what separates AI Pioneers — the AI high achievers leading the charge in AI innovation — from the rest.
We defined an “AI Pioneer” as a respondent who meets at least two of four key criteria: They have advanced AI adoption and impact at their organization, a mature organizational structure for AI (such as a hub-and-spoke or embedded model), a dedicated framework to account for the value associated with AI initiatives, and/or deliver a return of >$1 for every dollar spent.
These organizations aren’t just implementing AI; they’re transforming how they operate, driving innovation, and consistently delivering measurable returns on investment. But what strategies set these high achievers apart? How do they consistently outpace their peers and generate high returns from AI investments? Let’s dive into four of the key strategies that AI Pioneers have adopted to stay ahead of the curve.
1. Executive Buy-In Is Non-Negotiable
AI Pioneers enjoy something many organizations struggle with: strong executive support. This commitment at the highest levels creates a domino effect, opening doors for bigger budgets, faster decisions, and seamless integration of AI strategies across departments. According to our survey, 66% of AI Pioneers have a dedicated AI leader in their C-suite, underscoring the crucial role leadership plays in making AI initiatives truly transformative.
Pro Tip💡: Securing top-level support means aligning AI initiatives with core business goals and demonstrating long-term value, not just technical wins.
2. Prioritize Investment in Scalable Infrastructure
For AI Pioneers, infrastructure isn’t just an afterthought — it’s the foundation of their success. By investing in flexible, scalable infrastructure, these leaders can experiment quickly and deploy AI solutions efficiently across their organizations.
Our survey indicates that 54% of AI Pioneers plan to spend over $1 million on GenAI initiatives in the next 12 months, compared to just 35% of non-Pioneers, demonstrating a clear commitment to building robust technical backbones. Additionally, 54% of AI Pioneers believe they have the right infrastructure in place to support their advanced analytics, data science, and AI efforts for the next 3-5 years, compared to only 43% of non-Pioneers.
This level of investment and confidence in their infrastructure underscores that building a scalable foundation is non-negotiable for organizations serious about AI success.
Pro Tip 💡: To effectively scale AI, prioritize building a flexible and scalable infrastructure that can adapt to your organization’s evolving AI needs.
3. Experiment Often, Fail Fast, Learn Faster
AI Pioneers thrive on experimentation, recognizing that innovation requires a willingness to take risks, test new ideas, and learn from failures. Whether they’re experimenting with GenAI, large language models (LLMs), or new AI techniques, AI Pioneers are constantly pushing boundaries and refining their approaches.
Our survey shows that 55% of AI Pioneers believe they have the right tools and processes in place to facilitate rapid testing, iteration, and fast failure with data, analytics, and AI projects — significantly more than the 32% of non-Pioneers. Additionally, 89% of AI Pioneers are using or exploring hosted LLM services, compared to 77% of non-Pioneers, and 66% are experimenting with self-hosted open-source LLMs, compared to just 38% of non-Pioneers.
This willingness to explore diverse AI models demonstrates their commitment to staying ahead of trends and unlocking new growth opportunities.
Pro Tip 💡: Encourage teams to experiment boldly and embrace a ‘fail fast, learn faster’ mentality. It’s through this process that real breakthroughs happen.
4. Balance Governance With Democratization
For AI Pioneers, striking the right balance between governance and democratization is key to their AI success. They extend AI’s reach across multiple business functions, not just IT and Operations. For example, in Accounting & Finance, 77% of AI Pioneers have developed AI use cases, compared to just 57% of non-Pioneers. Similarly, in Legal & Compliance, 57% of AI Pioneers are utilizing AI, almost double the 34% of non-Pioneers.
These significant gaps show that AI Pioneers aren’t just scaling AI — they’re doing so with governance frameworks that ensure compliance, manage risks, and enforce data policies across departments. By balancing democratization with robust governance, they can confidently expand AI’s impact from finance to legal while maintaining oversight and alignment with regulatory requirements. This approach allows them to scale AI securely and efficiently as they extend AI capabilities organization-wide.
Pro Tip 💡: Build governance frameworks that empower every department to innovate, just like AI Pioneers who successfully scale AI from finance to legal while keeping compliance in check.
The Path to Long-Term AI Success
AI Pioneers are leading the charge, not just because they have the right tools, but because they’ve cultivated the habits that drive long-term success. From having strong executive support and investing in scalable infrastructure to fostering a culture of experimentation and balancing governance, these organizations have built a blueprint for sustained AI excellence.
Want to be an AI Pioneer? Take a page from their playbook: Commit to the right infrastructure, empower your teams to experiment, and keep a sharp eye on ROI while staying flexible — whether that’s adapting your strategies as AI evolves, reallocating resources, or adjusting your goals to maximize impact. The future belongs to those who act decisively and remain agile today.