If you have been waiting to see if Generative AI was just a "crypto-style" bubble, the results are in. It is not.
Two major reports dropped this week—one from the builders (OpenAI) and one from the investors (Menlo Ventures). When you strip away the technical jargon about "tokens" and "inference," a clear story emerges for business leaders: 2025 is the year AI graduated from "Intern" to "Infrastructure."
1. The "Excel Gap" is Real
Remember when some people used Excel just to make lists, while others used it to run billion-dollar financial models? We are seeing the exact same split with AI.
OpenAI's data shows a massive divide. The "Frontier" users (the power users) are not just chatting a little bit more; they are sending 6x more messages than the average employee. These employees are saving nearly an hour every single day.
The "So What" for HR
You don't have an "AI adoption" problem; you have a "Power User" problem. Your company likely has 5% of staff who are operating at 10x speed, while the other 95% are using it like a glorified spellchecker. Bridging this gap is your biggest training opportunity in 2026.
2. We Stopped "DIY" and Started Buying
In 2023, every CIO wanted to build their own AI model. It was the cool thing to do. Today, that vanity is gone.
Menlo Ventures reports that 76% of enterprise AI is now purchased (SaaS) rather than built in-house. Companies realized that building your own AI infrastructure is like building your own power plant to run a toaster. It is expensive and unnecessary. The market has shifted to buying finished, reliable software that just works.
3. From "Chatbot" to "Coworker"
The biggest shift in the data is how we talk to the AI. We used to ask questions ("Write me an email"). Now, we are delegating workflows ("Analyze this spreadsheet, write the summary, and format it for the board").
OpenAI calls this "Agentic workflows". It means the AI isn't just a Chatbot anymore; it is acting like a junior analyst. The data shows distinct tasks (coding, analysis, writing) are merging into single, complex requests.
Sources
- OpenAI. "The State of Enterprise AI 2025 Report." OpenAI, 8 Dec. 2025, openai.com/index/the-state-of-enterprise-ai-2025-report/.
- Menlo Ventures. "2025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise." Menlo Ventures, 9 Dec. 2025, menlovc.com/perspective/2025-the-state-of-generative-ai-in-the-enterprise/.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects my personal views only. AI tools may have been used for brevity, structure, or research support. Please independently verify any information before relying on it. This content does not represent the views of my employer, Infotech.com.
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