Cisco report says 80% of industrial firms use AI live

Cisco and Sapio Research published the 2026 State of Industrial AI Report on April 8, 2026, and said 80% of surveyed industrial organizations have moved AI into live operations. The report is based on survey responses from more than 7,950 business and technical decision-makers across 30 countries.

The report focuses on industrial organizations and says AI adoption is rising even as respondents report concerns about security and infrastructure readiness. Cisco said the findings reflect live operational use of AI rather than pilot projects.

The report adds to a broader trend of industrial companies moving AI from testing into production, while network, compute and cybersecurity requirements become more important. For the eSIM and connected-device sector, industrial AI deployment is relevant because factories, fleets and other connected operations depend on reliable connectivity, secure device management and scalable infrastructure.