NTT Data, a global leader in AI, digital business, and IT services, has released the 2026 Global AI Report: A Handbook for AI Leaders. The handbook is based on the company's new benchmarking research, which reveals how “AI leaders” set themselves apart from their competitors through strategy and execution.
This analysis is based on a survey of 2,567 senior executives from 35 countries and 15 industries. Only 15% of participating organizations achieved the “AI Leader” credential, which is defined by a clear AI strategy, mature operating model, and focused execution. These leaders report significantly higher revenue growth and profit margins than other organizations.
“AI accountability now belongs to the board of directors and requires a company-wide agenda,” said Yutaka Sasaki, President and CEO of NTT Data Group. “Our research shows that a small group of AI leaders are already leveraging AI to differentiate, grow, and reinvent the way humans and machines create value.”
strategy
Leaders will treat AI as a core growth engine and rewire their strategies accordingly.
- Strategic alignment and speed: AI leaders win by aligning AI closely with business strategy, translating strategic focus and speed into huge economic benefits.
- A focused end-to-end approach: Top performers focus on high-value domains that unlock disproportionate economic value and redesign workflows end-to-end.
- Flywheel effect: These front runners create a cycle in which initial investments drive early success and encourage reinvestment for further growth.
- Core reinvention: Growth leaders re-architect core applications with embedded AI, rather than limiting themselves to surface-level add-ons.
execution
AI leaders differentiate through resilient foundations, empowered humans, hardwired deployment and governance, and expert partners.
- Ensure security at scale: AI leaders invest to build scalable and secure stacks, localize or relocate AI infrastructure for private/sovereign AI, and eliminate infrastructure bottlenecks.
- Expert-first AI: Rather than replacing experienced, highly skilled employees, these frontrunners are using AI to amplify their impact.
- Changes that stick: Successful companies treat implementation as a company-wide change program and employ constructive change management to reduce resistance.
- Manage to scale: Leading organizations are centralizing AI governance, formalizing enterprise-wide oversight, and empowering a dedicated chief AI officer (CAIO) to take risks and orchestrate innovation.
- Growth through the power of partners: Best-in-class players rely on strategic external collaborators and embrace outcome-based profit-sharing models that accelerate the value of AI.
“Once AI and business strategy are aligned, the single most effective path is to select one or two domains that provide disproportionate value and redesign them end-to-end using AI,” he said. Mr. Abhijit Dubey, CEO and CAIO of NTT Data Corporation “Supporting this focused end-to-end approach with strong governance, modern infrastructure, and trusted partners is how today's AI leaders turn pilots into profits and lead the market.”
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