How “95%” escaped into the world – and why so many believed it
Challenging sloppy thinking
This post originally appeared in Exponential View.
“The ‘95 percent’ statistic has become an orphaned number — viral, vibey, methodologically weak, and quietly moving capital anyway.”
One number still keeps turning up in speeches, board meetings, my conversations and inbox:
“95 percent”
Do I need to say more than that? OK, here’s another clue: this number traveled on borrowed authority in 2025, rarely with a footnote and it started to shape decisions.
The claim is this: “95 percent” of organizations see no measurable profit-and-loss impact from generative AI. Of course, you know what I’m talking about. It has ricocheted through Fortune, the FT, The Economist, amongst others.
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