Chief Economists Outlook May 2025

33Chief Economists Outlook Figure 32. AI business adjustments Over the next three years, how important are the following strategies for businesses to accelerate AI adoption and capture its benefits? Share of respondents (%)Adapting businesses processes to integrate AI Reskilling and upskilling workers to work with AI tools Strengthening cybersecurity and data governance Improving internal data infrastructure and data quality Training managers to develop and lead AI strategy Developing clear metrics to assess the business value of AI Adapting to evolving AI regulations and legal risksVery unimportant Unimportant Important Very important Neither unimportant nor important 6 9 3 14 17 11 33 20 54 2014 40 3454 2951 349 43 4634 5749 46 Source: Chief Economists Survey. (2025, April). For businesses, chief economists identify the adaptation of business processes to integrate AI as the most important strategy for capturing the benefits of AI (95%). Organizations need to rethink workflows, redesign operations and embed AI into core activities to fully benefit from the technology. A second key business AI strategy, highlighted by 91% of respondents, relates to the importance of reskilling and upskilling employees to ensure they can effectively harness new AI tools. Related to this, 83% cited the importance of training managers to develop and lead AI strategies. Additionally, 74% of chief economists point to the development of transparent metrics to assess the business value of AI, enabling organizations to track progress, demonstrate return on investment and continuously refine their approaches. Finally, as the regulatory landscape for AI continues to evolve, businesses must remain agile in adapting to new legal requirements and ethical considerations. A total of 74% of chief economists surveyed considered this strategy important or very important. As AI becomes more deeply embedded in business operations, strengthening cybersecurity and data governance emerges as an important priority (89%). The proliferation of AI systems increases the volume and sensitivity of data handled by organizations, heightening exposure to cyber threats and privacy risks.89 89 World Economic Forum. (2025g).