Australian organisations are investing in AI, but few are seeing it change how they work. Only 12% of Australian leaders say generative AI is already transforming their business, compared with 25% globally.

The pilot trap

Most pilots are designed to prove a tool works, not to prove it creates value. Without a baseline, a named owner and a plan for the people who will use it, even a successful pilot has nowhere to go.

Four questions to ask before you start

Who owns the outcome? What are we measuring today? Where does the data live? Who does this work now, and have we asked them? If you cannot answer all four, you are not ready for a pilot, and that is useful to know.

Why SMEs have an advantage

Smaller organisations have shorter decision chains, fewer systems and closer contact with customers. A focused pilot on one painful process can move from idea to measurable result in weeks.

What to do next

Use a readiness checklist to score your next AI idea. Anything scoring below 12 needs groundwork first. A value scorecard helps you set a baseline before you begin.

Sources: Deloitte, State of AI in the Enterprise (Australia) 2026; Governance Institute of Australia, AI Deployment and Governance Survey 2025.