Krux
March 6, 2026
Only 7% of Companies Have AI-Ready Data
Published: March 6, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Updated: March 6, 2026 at 12:34 AM
100-word summary
A Harvard Business Review study of 230 enterprise decision-makers found just 7% say their data is completely ready for AI. More than a quarter admit their data isn't ready at all. The gap matters because 65% expect AI agents to replace major business processes within two years. The culprit? Data trapped in silos across different systems. Only 23% of companies have an actual data strategy for AI, though half are scrambling to build one now. Companies are racing to adopt AI while their underlying data remains scattered, unstructured, and inaccessible. It's like renovating the penthouse while the foundation is still crumbling.
What happened
A Harvard Business Review study of 230 enterprise decision-makers found just 7% say their data is completely ready for AI. More than a quarter admit their data isn't ready at all. The gap matters because 65% expect AI agents to replace major business processes within two years. The culprit? Data trapped in silos across different systems. Only 23% of companies have an actual data strategy for AI, though half are scrambling to build one now. Companies are racing to adopt AI while their underlying data remains scattered, unstructured, and inaccessible.
Why it matters
It's like renovating the penthouse while the foundation is still crumbling.