Companies that integrate AI are already producing more: BCG observes up to 70% more productivity in technology teams and more than double the return in companies with more mature AI, and 50% of the CEOs surveyed by EY name AI as what has given them the most productivity this year. We go through the data BCG and EY published between September and October 2026 and what it means for a company that wants to move from “using AI” to building it into its processes. These figures come from several reports (three from BCG and EY’s CEO survey), with different samples and metrics: they help size the potential, not promise the same result in every company.
This article covers the analysis in our LinkedIn carousel. If you want to know why AI pays off when it is well integrated, it pairs well with AI pays off when it is properly integrated and with how to free up time without losing judgement.
How much productivity does a technology team gain with AI?
According to BCG, in “The AI-First Tech Function” (13/10/2026), the improvement reaches up to 70% in productivity when AI is placed at the centre of the technology function. The carousel chart shows a range of +30% to +70%, so 70% is the observed ceiling and not a figure to take for granted.
Does delivery speed up, and do sales teams gain too?
In the most advanced teams BCG analyses, in the same report, two improvements of different scale appear:
- Software delivery: the cycle is 2 to 5 times faster.
- Sales and customer service: 5% to 10% more productivity.
Our reading: the sales and customer-service figures are more modest than the technology ones, so expectations are best set area by area.
What do CEOs say about AI and productivity?
EY gathers the views of 1,200 CEOs of large companies in 21 countries in its “Global CEO Outlook October 2026” (01/10/2026):
- 50% name AI as what has given them the most productivity this year.
- 48% reinvest the time saved in innovating and growing.
The sample is large companies, so it is best read as a trend and not as the exact measure for a small or mid-sized business.
What return does mature AI deliver?
Using the two BCG reports cited on the slide (“IT Spending Pulse”, 17/09/2026, and “How AI Is Reshaping the Economics of Technology”, 02/10/2026), the comparison is this:
- Return on AI investment: 19% with mature AI versus 9% with early-stage AI, more than double.
- Share of the technology budget going to AI: from 5% before to 17% today.
The carousel does not spell out how BCG defines “mature” AI or how it calculates the return, so before taking that figure into a presentation it is worth checking the original reports.
What helps productivity most?
Asked what has improved productivity most this year, the CEOs in the EY survey answer:
- Using AI tools: 50%.
- Redesigning processes: 46%.
- Optimising costs: 41%.
- Training the team: 33%.
AI tops the list, but redesigning processes is just four points behind. Our reading is the one we set out in the post: the difference is not only in using AI, but in integrating it into the right processes and measuring its impact.
How do we approach it at JAV BRAIN?
We leave the repetitive work to AI so your team can focus on what matters. In practice:
- Agents that work inside your tools.
- We start with the tasks that take the most time.
- With the model and the data where you decide.
Related. See what that work looks like inside the tools you already use in AI works inside the tools you already use.
Frequently asked questions
How much productivity do technology teams gain with AI according to BCG?
Up to 70%, with a range from +30% to +70%, when AI is placed at the centre of the technology function (“The AI-First Tech Function”, 13/10/2026). In the most advanced teams BCG analyses, the software delivery cycle is 2 to 5 times faster.
What return does mature AI give compared with early-stage AI?
According to BCG, a 19% return on AI investment with mature AI versus 9% with early-stage AI: more than double. The share of the technology budget going to AI rises from 5% before to 17% today.
What do the CEOs surveyed by EY say about AI and productivity?
In the survey of 1,200 CEOs of large companies in 21 countries, 50% name AI as what has given them the most productivity this year and 48% reinvest the time saved in innovating and growing.
Want to bring AI into your real processes? We automate tasks and free up your team’s time through our AI consulting service. Book a free exploratory session and we will review your case together.
More analysis like this in the original LinkedIn post.
