Proof over Promise Insights on Real World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations 2026

Advancing meaningful AI adoption through the MINDS programme1 Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative force, unlocking new possibilities across industries and societies. Yet, as organizations seek to harness these technologies, many encounter the deeper challenge of translating ambition into sustainable, real-world impact. Recognizing the importance of turning promise into practice, the World Economic Forum established MINDS (Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions) as a flagship programme under the AI Global Alliance to help leaders unlock the full value of AI for businesses and society. MINDS aims to spotlight the most effective examples of applied AI and to connect leaders, allowing them to share practical insights on solutions already delivering impact. Going beyond a sole focus on traditional return on investment (ROI) metrics of economic performance, MINDS champions AI solutions that also address systemic social challenges – from climate resilience and equitable healthcare to sustainable supply chains – ensuring that AI innovation can advance both business values and societal progress. Open to organizations of any size, sector or geography, MINDS recognizes the diverse organizations behind transformative AI applications to enable meaningful knowledge exchange. Evaluation process The AI Global Alliance community developed a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess applications from organizations worldwide. The framework is built on three pillars: –Impact: Demonstration of ability to deliver measurable outcomes across economic, environmental and social impact, while also considering scalability potential –Novelty: Introduction of novel, AI-driven solutions to persistent challenges –Responsibility: Compliance with local regulations and embedding of responsible practices throughout the design and implementation of AI solutions Following in-depth interviews by the MINDS programme team and the Impact Council – a strategic advisory group, composed of AI experts from academia and the private sector, representing the full spectrum of AI expertise from AI models to social and economic impact – selected outstanding examples of AI applications. The 2025 cohorts represent a diverse range of organizations that demonstrate how AI can be responsibly deployed to achieve real-world results. The MINDS applicant pool reflects a self-selected group of organizations enthusiastic about sharing how they are using AI to drive impact. The insights gathered in this report are not intended as a representative survey of the broader industrial transformations taking place with AI, but as a showcase of select organizations helping to create guideposts for innovation. 1.1 Overview of the MINDS programmeMINDS organizations are turning AI ambitions into impactful, measurable and sustainable outcomes for businesses and society. Recognizing the importance of turning promise into practice, the World Economic Forum established MINDS to help leaders unlock the full value of AI for businesses and society. Proof over Promise: Insights on Real-World AI Adoption from 2025 MINDS Organizations 5