Subvolts take Most companies fail at AI value; learn why and how to succeed from a Genpact executive. Jun 18, 2026
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Learn why most AI initiatives fail and gain actionable advice on driving value and overcoming managerial hurdles.
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This episode offers practical insights into enterprise AI adoption challenges from a major consulting firm's executive.

Only 12% of Companies Generate Value From AI. Here's What They're Doing | Sanjeev Vohra, Genpact

59 min Interview Hosts: Craig S. Smith
0:0059:09

Audio streams from Craig S. Smith. Your place is remembered on this device.

From Subvolts

Summary and analysis by Subvolts editorial, AI-assisted.

Summary

Sanjeev Vohra of Genpact discusses survey results showing only 12% of companies achieve genuine AI value. The "frozen middle" of busy managers hinders transformation. The episode explores why most companies stall, the role of co-pilots, the lack of AI governance, and Genpact's adoption signals. Vohra advises prioritizing progress over perfection for AI success.

Explained simply

Most companies invest in AI but don't see results because busy middle managers get stuck. This episode explains why only a few companies succeed and what others can do to start seeing real benefits from AI.

Why listen

This episode clarifies why most companies struggle to gain value from AI investments, a common pain point for businesses. It's for senior leaders and managers navigating AI adoption. The discussion on governance and the "frozen middle" offers practical insights relevant to current enterprise AI strategies, as companies like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot push AI tools into businesses.

On the mic
  • HostCraig S. Smith
  • GuestSanjeev VohraChief Technology and Innovation Officer, Genpact
About
Key facts
  • Guest: Sanjeev Vohra, Genpact's Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
  • Title: Only 12% of Companies Generate Value From AI. Here's What They're Doing
  • Show: Eye on AI
  • Length: 59 minutes
  • AI Leaders Percentage: 12%
  • Companies with AI Governance: 99% have no real AI governance program
Show notes from Craig S. Smith

Genpact surveyed 500 senior executives to understand why companies are investing in AI but not seeing the value, and what they found was both clarifying and uncomfortable. Sanjeev Vohra, Genpact's Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, joins Craig Smith to share the results: only 12% of companies qualify as genuine AI leaders, meaning they're deploying AI in production environments, generating measurable business outcomes, and have the governance systems in place to actually assess that value. The other 88% are somewhere between experimenting and stalled, and the most common culprit isn't the technology or the C-suite. It's what Vohra and his clients call the "frozen middle", the operationally stretched middle managers who are too busy to lead the transformation and too central to the business to be bypassed.

The conversation covers the full landscape of what separates leaders from the rest: why co-pilots are a stepping stone that most companies are mistaking for the destination; why 99% of enterprises have no real AI governance program even as agents begin to proliferate; how Genpact's own CEO writing code on a Friday afternoon became the most powerful AI adoption signal in the company; and why Vohra's sharpest piece of advice is also the simplest, progress over perfection, because the companies still waiting for a complete roadmap before they start have already fallen behind. His formula for what's coming: engineers who are 10 times more productive, business professionals who are 3 times more capable, and organizations that treat that as a baseline expectation, not a stretch goal.

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Jargon decoded
frozen middle
Sanjeev Vohra
middle managers who are too busy and central to drive change
co-pilots
Sanjeev Vohra
AI assistants that help with tasks like coding or writing
agents
Sanjeev Vohra
AI programs that can perform tasks autonomously
Published
Show
Eye on AI · Craig S. Smith
Length
59 min
Summary by
Subvolts, using an AI model (how we work). Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Questions people ask

What percentage of companies are AI leaders?
Only 12% of companies qualify as genuine AI leaders, meaning they deploy AI in production, generate measurable outcomes, and have governance systems.
What is the main obstacle to AI value?
The "frozen middle" of operationally stretched middle managers, too busy to lead transformation and too central to bypass, is the most common culprit.

Page generated Oct 19, 2026. Summaries are Subvolts' own; the audio, artwork and notes belong to Craig S. Smith.