For a decade, artificial intelligence has been marketed primarily as an optimization tool. Automate. Cut costs. Accelerate processes.
That era is drawing to a close.
By 2030, AI’s status will have fundamentally shifted. It will no longer be an operational support function but a core driver of economic growth, value creation, and revenue generation. This strategic pivot is highlighted by recent studies from the IBM Institute for Business Value, PwC, and McKinsey.
The question is no longer if companies should invest in AI, but how they can translate those investments into real, sustainable growth.
AI in 2030: The End of the Experimental Era
According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, 79% of executives believe AI will be a direct contributor to revenue by 2030, up from approximately 40% today.
This figure marks a tipping point: AI is moving out of the laboratory and into the heart of the business model.
In parallel:
- AI investments are projected to increase by more than 150% by 2030.
- “AI-first” companies are already outperforming peers in innovation and execution speed.
However, this strategic shift reveals a major paradox.
👉 Only 24% of executives know exactly how AI will generate these new revenue streams.
The challenge is no longer technological; it is organizational, strategic, and cultural.
Key Metrics Redefining Economic Growth
| Structural Data Points (2030 Projection) | Impact |
| +150% | Projected growth in global AI investment |
| +42% | Average productivity gain expected by surveyed executives |
| 62% | Share of AI budgets dedicated to innovation (vs. 47% today) |
| +55% | Potential increase in operating margins for multi-modal firms |
| 70% | Share of productivity gains reinvested in growth rather than cost-cutting |
These figures align with PwC estimates, which project that AI could add up to $15.7 trillion to the global GDP by 2030.
From Cost-Cutting to Innovation: The True Strategic Pivot
Historically, every technological wave begins with optimization before evolving into a growth engine. AI is following this exact trajectory.
The Practical Shift:
- AI is no longer used solely for automation.
- It is creating new products, services, and economic models.
Leading companies are leveraging AI to:
- Identify untapped markets.
- Personalize offerings at scale.
- Accelerate time-to-market.
👉 According to McKinsey, companies that integrate AI at a strategic level are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to outperform their industry peers.
Read also:
- How to democratize AI within organizations
Multi-modal, SLMs, and the End of the “LLM-only” Myth
Contrary to the dominant narrative, the future of AI will not be dominated by a single giant model.
Major Trends:
- 82% of companies will adopt a multi-modal approach.
- 72% of experts believe Small Language Models (SLMs) will be more cost-effective than LLMs for specific business use cases.
Specialized models offer:
- Lower costs.
- Greater control.
- Seamless operational integration.
What about Quantum AI?
- 59% of executives view it as a major disruption.
- Yet, only 27% believe they will be able to harness it by 2030.
👉 A classic technological gap: early adopters will secure a structural advantage.
HR, Leadership, and Governance: A Silent Transformation
The impact of AI extends beyond tools; it is reshaping power and decision-making.
- 57% of executives believe current skill sets will become obsolete by 2030.
- 74% anticipate a profound redefinition of leadership roles.
- 25% of boards could include an AI advisor in their strategic decision-making process.
The key factor is no longer raw technical skill, but rather:
- Mental agility
- Adaptability
- Strategic understanding of AI
The Real Risk: Investing Without Integrating
Despite the optimism, 68% of executives fear their AI projects will fail—not for technical reasons, but due to a lack of integration into core business activities.
👉 AI only creates value when it is woven into decisions, processes, and culture.
AI-first companies are 48% more likely to create new strategic roles, proving that well-deployed AI does not destroy human value—it reallocates it.
Read also:
- Generative AI and Employment in Europe: Adoption, Impact, and Labor Market Challenges
The Impakt Eye — Special Analysis
AI will not just be the next growth engine; it will be the filter.
By 2030, every company will use AI. Very few will know how to derive a sustainable economic advantage from it. The real divide will not be between adopters and laggards, but between two distinct categories:
- Those using AI to optimize the existing.
- Those employing AI to redesign their markets.
The former will gain a few productivity points. The latter will capture the value. This pattern mirrors every major technological disruption: electricity, computing, the Internet… and now AI.
Our Prediction:
By the end of the decade, truly AI-first companies will demonstrate:
- Structurally superior margins.
- A product launch capability twice as fast as competitors.
- Transformed governance where decision-making is continuously augmented by data.
AI will not replace executives. It will replace those who make decisions without it.
Conclusion: A Strategic Question, Not a Technological One
By 2030, AI will not distinguish companies that use it from those that do not. It will separate those who save from those who conquer.
Is your AI strategy designed to cut costs… or to build your next growth engine?
FAQ
Sources & References
· IBM Institute for Business Value: Beyond the Hype: AI-Powered Business Growth to 2030
· PwC: Sizing the Prize: PwC’s Global Artificial Intelligence Study
· McKinsey Global Institute: The Economic Potential of Generative AI: The Next Productivity Frontier
