A New Kind of Taylorism, Neurological Pruning, and the GenAI Divide: Why Companies Need Fresh Eyes on AI.

In boardrooms across the world, 2025 has become the year of AI ambition. Almost every company I meet tells me they’re experimenting with artificial intelligence. According to Stanford’s AI Index 2025, nearly 78% of organizations now report using AI in some form, up from just 55% a year ago. That’s impressive progress—but there’s also an elephant in the room. Research from MIT and Stanford shows that 95% of AI pilots never generate measurable business value. Only 5% make it into production, and even fewer affect the P&L. That gap has a name now: the GenAI Divide. 

Many people have reacted strongly to these findings. But one thing needs to be clear: the problem isn’t the technology. If anything, AI has never been more powerful, affordable, or accessible. The cost of querying a GPT-3.5-level model has dropped more than 280-fold in just 18 months. Mid-sized companies can now move from pilot to production in as little as 90 days, while large enterprises often take 9 months or more. So what’s holding us back? There are several reasons, but one of the most important is our ability to measure business value. 

The GenAI Divide Emerges

To bridge the GenAI Divide, companies need to do the less glamorous work: define relevant metrics before launching initiatives and dedicate time to follow up. It may not feel exciting, but it’s crucial for motivating major investments and staying competitive. AI is brilliant at completing 80% of a task quickly—but what about the last 20%? And when productivity gains free up 10, 20, or even 30% of time, how is that resource allocated? Leaders and employees experience time differently: some juggle endless priorities, others have well-defined roles. But if an employee suddenly has more time than their job requires, is there a clear plan for how that time should be used? Do they feel safe saying so? Creating that safety is essential. Organizations must ensure that freed-up time is reinvested toward shared goals. Klarna—often criticized—has actually led the way here, designing incentive structures that link productivity gains to employee compensation, and they’re reaping the benefits. 

It’s Not the Tech—It’s the Metrics

Maybe it’s time for a new, more positive form of Taylorism. Not a return to classical stopwatches and micromanagement, but a safe environment where employees and leaders reflect on how they spend their time, and are both empowered and incentivized to realize as much value as possible with AI. The current inability to measure efficiency—at the individual or group level—means many companies only invest in areas where ROI is easy to track. That’s a huge problem. It leaves high-potential domains like finance, operations, and creative strategy underexplored simply because their value is harder to quantify. 

As the CEO of Alpha Leap, I’m obviously biased—but one finding from these reports stands out: external partnerships outperform internal builds. Success rates are 2 x as high when companies partner externally for AI deployment. A fresh set of eyes cuts through the dreaded “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. External partners bring multiple advantages: they’re not bound by legacy assumptions, they provide objectivity, and they contribute top-level AI expertise, creative problem-solving, startup methodology, and speed. These are exactly the capabilities organizations need to stay relevant in the future. 

The Real Winners Will Be Defined by Courage

Wrapping up: AI is no longer a “maybe” technology. It’s already embedded in daily life, reshaping industries, and redistributing competitive advantage. But the gap between playing with AI and profiting from it is wider than most executives realize. If you’re a decision-maker, ask yourself: Am I on the wrong side of the GenAI Divide? If so, the answer isn’t more pilots. It’s clearer measurement, faster execution, and—crucially—a willingness to invite creative external partners into the process. 

In this new era, there are both Davids and Goliaths. But the real winners won’t be defined by size. Success will belong to those who attract the right talent, stay agile in the face of change, and use data to power bold decisions. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing: the courage to pick up the slingshot. The question is—have you stepped into the arena and if yes, do you have all the things you need in order to success?