The Five Stages of AI Maturity: A Roadmap for AI Adoption

Artificial intelligence is not a single leap forward—it’s a journey. No two companies start from the same point, and no two progress at the same pace. Yet in our work with growth-phase organizations, a consistent pattern emerges: businesses move through identifiable phases on their way to making AI a strategic advantage.

Understanding these stages matters. Leaders often assume they are further ahead than they really are, or they misinterpret their struggles as unique when they are simply experiencing the natural progression of maturity. A clear framework allows companies to recognize where they are today, anticipate the challenges of the next stage, and move intentionally toward long-term success.

This roadmap, adapted from our recently published article, From Shadow AI to Strategic AI: A Guide to Strategic AI Adoption, outlines five distinct company personas, or stages, of AI maturity. By placing your organization on this spectrum, you can better chart the path forward and avoid costly detours in your AI adoption journey. Below we describe the face of each stage and its primary components.

Stage 1: The Uncertain

This is the largest group of companies, representing roughly 60–70% of the market today. The Uncertain are experimenting casually—asking ChatGPT to draft emails, researching faster, or exploring lightweight applications.

These organizations know AI holds potential, but they’re overwhelmed by choice. Vendor roadmaps from providers like Salesforce or Oracle seem to move slowly, leaving leaders stuck in “analysis paralysis.” Fear of making the wrong decision keeps them from making any decision at all.

The risk here isn’t that these companies reject AI—it’s that their hesitation creates hidden costs. Shadow usage grows unchecked, employees lose confidence in leadership, and competitors begin to surge ahead. For the Uncertain, the first step in AI adoption is simply to start: identify one low-risk pilot and learn from it.

Stage 2: The Scramblers

Some companies jump in quickly, driven by competitive pressure or a change in leadership, eager to move fast. These are the Scramblers. They rush to adopt tools, often without a clear plan, cross-functional alignment, or governance in place.

The Scramblers gain early momentum but face predictable setbacks. Efforts are duplicated across departments, budgets are wasted on overlapping tools, and risks multiply without guardrails. Instead of a cohesive AI adoption program, the result is chaos.

To move forward, Scramblers must pause, take stock, and create structure. Moving fast without clarity only delays the benefits they seek.

Stage 3: The Strategists

The Strategists understand that success comes from alignment. Here, leadership teams work together to define priorities, ask smart questions, and build confidence through modest, intentional investments—often around $5,000 at a time.

Strategists don’t chase every shiny tool. They start with a specific use case that makes sense for their company, whether that’s streamlining client communications, automating repetitive processes, or enhancing demand generation. From there, they scale gradually, building both technical and cultural momentum.

This stage represents the heart of deliberate AI adoption: small pilots, measured outcomes, and steady growth. Strategists know they are building not just tools but also skills, mindsets, and cultural acceptance.

Stage 4: The Advanced Implementers

Advanced Implementers have been at this for a while. They’ve moved beyond pilots and experiments, embedding AI into multiple workflows that now interact with each other to create compound value. Their governance frameworks are established, their training programs robust, and their technical foundations secure.

These organizations think in terms of “AI-first” problem-solving. Rather than asking whether AI can help, they assume it will play a role and design accordingly. Multi-agent systems and domain-specific applications are on the horizon, and AI is no longer just an experiment—it’s becoming infrastructure.

Stage 5: The Advisors

The final stage belongs to the Advisors: firms where AI is so deeply integrated that it becomes part of their DNA. At this point, AI adoption is no longer an initiative—it’s an identity.

Advisors have mature governance, cross-functional expertise, and cultural buy-in. They don’t just leverage AI internally; they advise clients, partners, or peers on their journeys as well. For these companies, the challenge shifts from exploration to large-scale transformation and industry leadership.

Climbing the Maturity Curve

Wherever your company falls on this spectrum, the goal remains the same: to move from passive experimentation to deliberate strategy. Progress doesn’t require giant leaps. It requires clarity, alignment, and consistent execution.

Recognizing your current stage allows you to focus on the right next step—not all the steps at once. Whether you’re Uncertain, Scrambling, or Strategizing, you can advance by building governance, piloting responsibly, and aligning leadership.

Concluding Thoughts: Every Journey Needs a Map

AI is not a trend to dabble in casually. It is a force that is reshaping industries, altering talent expectations, and redefining competition. But progress is not linear, and confusion is not failure. The key is knowing where you stand and where you’re going next.

The five stages of AI adoption give leaders a roadmap to move with confidence. By assessing your maturity honestly and taking deliberate steps forward, you can transform uncertainty into clarity and shadow usage into strategic advantage.

The companies that succeed won’t necessarily be the fastest—they’ll be the most intentional.