IBM Study: More Companies Turning to Open-Source AI Tools to Unlock ROI

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IBM Study: More Companies Turning to Open-Source AI Tools to Unlock ROI

2024-12-19 21:00 Last Updated At：21:15

85% of IT decision makers surveyed reported progress in their companies' 2024 AI strategy, with 47% saying they have already achieved positive ROI
Nearly half of surveyed companies are looking to open-source AI to optimize their investments in 2025

ARMONK, N.Y., Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New research commissioned by IBM (NYSE: IBM) found that companies surveyed are investing in AI for the long term, with a growing interest in using open-source tools to drive ROI and innovation going forward.

The study of more than 2,400 IT decision makers (ITDMs), conducted by Morning Consult and developed in collaboration with Lopez Research, revealed that 85% of respondents report making progress in executing their 2024 AI strategy, with nearly half (47%) already seeing positive ROI from their AI investments. The data also confirms that using open-source tools for AI solutions may correlate to greater financial viability: 51% of surveyed companies currently utilizing open-source AI tools report seeing positive ROI, as compared to just 41% of those not using open source.

Nearly two-thirds (62%) of all respondents indicate they will increase their AI investments in 2025, while 48% are planning to leverage open-source ecosystems to optimize their AI implementations. For those surveyed companies not currently utilizing open-source, 2 in 5 say they plan to use open source for AI implementation in 2025.

"As organizations begin to implement AI at scale, many are placing greater stock in success metrics such as productivity gains, in part because traditional hard dollar ROI benefits have yet to show up on the balance sheets," said Maribel Lopez of Lopez Research. "Yet, companies continue to rapidly advance their AI strategies, with no sign of slowing down. Companies now recognize the value of defining specific use cases and optimizing AI projects. They are leveraging hybrid cloud strategies and open source to drive AI innovation and deliver financial returns."

Further study findings include:

Enterprises are ramping up AI investment, but with a greater strategic focus

89% of surveyed organizations are planning to either increase or maintain their investment in AI in 2025.
- Of the 62% that plan to increase their investment, nearly two-fifths (39%) of respondents plan to up their spending by 25-50%.
- Only 5% of respondents plan to decrease their AI spending, and none by more than 50%.
Surveyed companies are focusing on specific areas for allocating their AI investments, particularly IT operations (the top focus area for 63% percent of respondents), as well as data quality management (46%) and product/services innovation (41%).
When asked what strategic changes will be made in 2025, surveyed ITDMs identify using managed cloud services (51%), hiring specialized talent (48%) and utilizing open source (48%) among the most common ways they plan to optimize their AI investments.

Open source is becoming crucial to companies' AI strategies

6-in-10 ITDMs surveyed report using open-source ecosystems as an AI tool source, and more AI solutions are expected to be based on open source in the coming year (41% in 2025 vs. 37% in 2024).
More than 80% of respondents report that at least a quarter of their company's AI solutions or platforms are based on open source.
- As company size increases, so does the likelihood that the majority (over 50%) of AI solutions are based on open source.
Surveyed companies utilizing open-source ecosystems are more likely to be achieving positive ROI than those that are not (51% vs. 41%).
In addition, respondents harnessing open-source ecosystems plan to launch more AI pilots in the coming year than those that are not: 38% say they plan to launch 21+ AI pilots in 2025, compared to 26% at companies not using open source for AI tooling.

Organizations report successfully advancing their AI projects, but often through less traditional ROI metrics

85% of surveyed ITDMs report making progress in executing their AI strategy, while only 9% report no progress.
58% of respondents say their company typically moves from AI pilot to full production in less than a year.
31% of surveyed companies say their AI investments are driven more by innovation, compared to 28% that are more ROI driven; 41% indicate that their organization is equally innovation and ROI-driven.
Faster software development (25%), more rapid innovation (23%), and productivity time savings (22%) ranked as the three most important metrics surveyed ITDMs use to calculate ROI from AI investments. Hard dollar/quantifiable savings was a distant fourth at 15%.
Nearly half (47%) of surveyed companies say they are achieving positive ROI from their AI projects; 33% say they are breaking even and just 14% say they are recording negative ROI.
- Among companies not yet achieving positive ROI, less than half (44%) expect to begin seeing dollar savings within the next 1 to 2 years; 92% believe they will turn a positive ROI within 3 years.

To view the full study, visit: https://newsroom.ibm.com/image/IBM_ROI_of_AI_Report-December_2024.pdf

Study Methodology:
Morning Consult conducted a survey from October 30 to November 13, 2024 among a total sample of 2,413 IT Decision Makers (ITDMS) in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Spain, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and South Korea. The interviews were conducted online, and the data is unweighted. Respondents are employed at companies with 101 employees or more, serving in director-level or higher roles within a technology role, with decision-making authority over at least one of the following: management of business consultants/consulting services, purchasing for IT products, or purchasing for business consulting services.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contact:
Marisa Conway
IBM Corporate Communications
conwaym@us.ibm.com

Further study findings include:

Enterprises are ramping up AI investment, but with a greater strategic focus

Open source is becoming crucial to companies' AI strategies

6-in-10 ITDMs surveyed report using open-source ecosystems as an AI tool source, and more AI solutions are expected to be based on open source in the coming year (41% in 2025 vs. 37% in 2024).
More than 80% of respondents report that at least a quarter of their company's AI solutions or platforms are based on open source.
- As company size increases, so does the likelihood that the majority (over 50%) of AI solutions are based on open source.
Surveyed companies utilizing open-source ecosystems are more likely to be achieving positive ROI than those that are not (51% vs. 41%).
In addition, respondents harnessing open-source ecosystems plan to launch more AI pilots in the coming year than those that are not: 38% say they plan to launch 21+ AI pilots in 2025, compared to 26% at companies not using open source for AI tooling.

Organizations report successfully advancing their AI projects, but often through less traditional ROI metrics

85% of surveyed ITDMs report making progress in executing their AI strategy, while only 9% report no progress.
58% of respondents say their company typically moves from AI pilot to full production in less than a year.
31% of surveyed companies say their AI investments are driven more by innovation, compared to 28% that are more ROI driven; 41% indicate that their organization is equally innovation and ROI-driven.
Faster software development (25%), more rapid innovation (23%), and productivity time savings (22%) ranked as the three most important metrics surveyed ITDMs use to calculate ROI from AI investments. Hard dollar/quantifiable savings was a distant fourth at 15%.
Nearly half (47%) of surveyed companies say they are achieving positive ROI from their AI projects; 33% say they are breaking even and just 14% say they are recording negative ROI.
- Among companies not yet achieving positive ROI, less than half (44%) expect to begin seeing dollar savings within the next 1 to 2 years; 92% believe they will turn a positive ROI within 3 years.

To view the full study, visit: https://newsroom.ibm.com/image/IBM_ROI_of_AI_Report-December_2024.pdf

Media Contact:
Marisa Conway
IBM Corporate Communications
conwaym@us.ibm.com

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

AMRO Marks 10 Years as an International Organization

Director/CEO Yasuto Watanabe reaffirms commitment to strengthening regional resilience and financial cooperation amid growing global uncertainty

SINGAPORE, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AMRO commemorated its 10th anniversary as an international organization at the 29th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting held in Samarkand on May 3, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening regional resilience and financial cooperation amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.

In remarks delivered at the commemorative event, AMRO Director/CEO Yasuto Watanabe reflected on AMRO's development since becoming an international organization in 2016.

"At that time, we had fewer than 40 staff and only a modest range of publications," Mr. Watanabe said. "Today, AMRO has grown to more than 120 staff, with its analytical and policy work supporting a broad range of regional priorities."

Mr. Watanabe noted that AMRO's evolution has paralleled the transformation of ASEAN+3 over the past decade. He highlighted that the region has become more interconnected, with deeper integration and stronger regional demand, and now accounts for 28 percent of global final demand, making ASEAN+3 the world's largest market.

At the same time, he cautioned that the region is navigating what he described as "changes unseen in a century," marked by heightened global uncertainty and growing structural challenges.

"In this environment, AMRO's role is clear," he said. "We must identify risks early and provide timely, practical policy advice."

Mr. Watanabe highlighted AMRO's continued efforts to strengthen the regional financial safety net through its support for the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), expand technical assistance to strengthen policymaking capacity across the region, and advance work in areas such as cross-border digital payments and financial connectivity in alignment with the updated ASEAN+3 Finance Process Strategic Direction.

"Yet one principle remains unchanged: resilience cannot be achieved alone," he said.

Looking ahead, Mr. Watanabe reaffirmed AMRO's commitment to its core mandate.

"AMRO will remain steadfast in its mandate to deliver rigorous and independent surveillance, to support sound policymaking, and to strengthen regional financial cooperation," he said.

"Together with our members, we will continue building a more resilient and integrated ASEAN+3."

Watch AMRO's 10th anniversary video here.

About AMRO

AMRO is an international organization established to support macroeconomic and financial stability of the ASEAN+3 region, comprising members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; and Korea. AMRO's mandate is to conduct macroeconomic surveillance, support regional financial arrangements, and provide technical assistance to the members. AMRO also serves as a regional knowledge hub and provides support to ASEAN+3 financial cooperation.

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