The AI-Fueled Future of the Industrial Sector

This IDC Perspective looks at the AI-fueled future of the industrial sector. AI usage is immature in the industrials - construction, manufacturing, and energy - according to IDC's February 2025 AI-Fueled Organization MaturityScape Benchmark Global Survey (n = 1,534) research and conversations with end users in these respective industries. Actual experimental usage of GenAI, agentic AI, NLP, ML, predictive, and so forth is prevalent, but there is often no unifying organization, foundation, or governing set of processes. This document explores AI progression and maturity, sharing the top use case opportunities and guidance for success. "It is only a matter of time before AI takes off in the manufacturing and industrial sector because the potential value-add is simply too high. That is, the ability to more rapidly automate production processes and data flow, as well as augment workforces that are challenged with resource and skills gaps. Leading organizations consider investments in AI as part of an overall digital transformation strategy," said Jeff Hojlo, research vice president, Industrial Ecosystems and Business Network Strategies.