88%
of organizations reported using AI in at least one business function in 2025.
Stanford 2026 AI IndexFree AI readiness white paper
AI Readiness Before AI Spend
Work through seven areas of AI readiness to decide whether an idea is worth testing and what you need to prepare first.
- 10-page guide
- Includes research and links to sources
- Download the PDF after filling out the form
Inside the guide
What you’ll learn
- Seven areas to review: goals, processes, data, technology, oversight, people, and measurement
- A scorecard to identify gaps and the work needed to address them
- Six steps for planning a trial you can measure, adjust, or stop
- A 30-day assessment plan and questions to help you decide whether to proceed
From the research
Research cited in the guide
Here are a few findings discussed in the guide. Follow the source links for the full studies and their context.
70%
reported generative AI use in at least one business function, while agent deployments remained early.
Stanford AI Index — Economy4 functions
Govern, Map, Measure, and Manage organize NIST's voluntary AI risk framework.
NIST AI Risk Management FrameworkCommon questions
Before you download
What is an AI readiness assessment?
It’s a review of the task you want AI to help with, the data and systems it would use, and the people who would manage it. It also looks at risks and what you’d need to learn from a trial before using it more widely.
Does readiness mean choosing an AI vendor?
No. The assessment may show that changing the process or using ordinary automation would help more. Choosing a vendor comes after you understand the job, the limits, and how the tool would be managed.
What should an AI pilot prove?
It should show how the tool compares with the current process, where it makes mistakes, and how much checking it needs. It should also test security and connections to other systems, so you can decide whether to expand, change, or stop the project.
Want help applying the guide?
Tell us about the task or system you’re working on. We can help you assess the options, plan a trial, or get the project started.