SAN FRANCISCO, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lucidworks, the leading AI-powered search and product discovery provider, released its third annual Generative AI Global Benchmark Study today. For the first time, the study includes data from Lucidworks’ proprietary agentic AI "Guydbot," which autonomously explored and evaluated the digital experiences of more than 1,100 companies across 48 industry segments.
Combining Guydbot’s findings with survey data, the report paints a picture of widespread anxiety around AI initiatives, which are failing to fully materialize because many companies still don’t have the required capabilities in place. Guydbot data reveals that 65% of companies do not have a solid foundation to build meaningful AI into their platforms.
“If you think of Agentic AI - AI that performs tasks - as a car, then you can imagine Generative AI as the engine, and data as the fuel. Our report finds that too many ecommerce companies are trying to build Formula One racers around go-kart engines - and they might not even have enough gas to fill their tanks,” explained Mike Sinoway, CEO of Lucidworks.
In the 2025 survey of more than 1,600 CEOs, CTOs, and other AI strategy decision-makers, 83% reported feeling "Major" or "Extreme" concern over their AI progress. In contrast, 10.2% reported similar anxieties in Lucidworks’ 2023 study - an 8X jump in just two years.
“To put it another way: companies have been trying to run before they can walk because of top-down pressure. Now panic is setting in,” Sinoway added. “Many are reluctant to admit how far behind they really are, but we have the receipts to prove it thanks to Guydbot.”
Guydbot autonomously evaluated over 1,100 companies by interacting directly with their digital experiences, as any human visitor could do, but at scale. On each site, it verified the presence and effectiveness of 24 capabilities including AI Summarization, Guided Selling, Interactive Q&A, and Dynamic Personalization. The assessment found that 71% of companies have adopted some Generative AI capabilities. However, only 6% have managed to fully deploy an Agentic AI solution.
“With Guydbot, we’re able to see who’s actually implemented AI – not just who says they have,” said Guy Sperry, CTO of Lucidworks and the creator (and namesake) of Guydbot. “Our annual surveys have been helpful, but until now, we’ve had to take executives at their word. Guydbot lets us verify what’s real."
The report also introduces the "Capability Cohorts" framework, breaking organizations into four categories based on ecommerce and AI progress. Guydbot found that 35% of the companies evaluated fell into the "Achievers" category - those that have “built solid ecommerce foundations while also making progress on Generative AI.”
The remaining 65% were made up of “Builders” (14%) - ”Strong in essential capabilities but limited AI implementation,” “Climbers” (10%) - “Making AI progress but still have gaps in ecommerce essential capabilities,” and “Spectators” (41%) - those that are just getting started and have room for growth across all capabilities. The study reveals stark implementation gaps that directly impact business performance.
"Agentic AI functionality is the future, but fundamental ecommerce capabilities are essential to delivering the greatest performance boost. Those gaps must be closed,” added Sinoway. “Many companies have massive potential for progress in just delivering the basics. Hopefully, they can leverage the funding for AI to simultaneously invest in the fundamentals.”
Based on the Capability Cohorts framework, the study includes industry-specific analyses across retail, manufacturing, software, pharmaceuticals, and travel sectors, ranking AI performers within these industries. Many top-ranked companies come as expected: Tesla and Amazon lead in “Automotive” and “Department Stores & Mass Merchants,” respectively. But there are some surprises: 122-year-old motorcycle brand Harley Davidson, and Qurate—best known for its start as ‘QVC’ on cable television—come in at #3 in these categories.
Other key findings include:
- Agentic AI Adoption Low: Only 6% of companies have implemented more than 1 Agentic AI solution, and most of those are all in the technology industry sector.
- Conversion Gap Widens: Companies with balanced implementation of essential and advanced capabilities outperform those with limited implementation by up to 62% in potential conversion rates.
- ROI Concerns Skyrocket: AI deployment cost concerns have increased 18X since 2023, data security has tripled, and anxiety about response accuracy has grown 8X.
- Language Fundamentals Overlooked: Only 37.5% of companies support multiple languages, the most overlooked essential capability, despite serving global markets.
The report features industry rankings of the biggest consumer and B2B brands on the planet, all assessed by Guydbot. These include: 3M, AirBnB, Aldo Shoes, Amazon, Callaway Golf, Carnival Corporation, Citizen Watch, Coach, Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive, Days Inn, DS Services, etsy, Fossil Group, Gap, General Mills, Harley Davidson, Hasbro, Hershey Company, JCrew, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kimberly-Clark, Mars, Mattress Firm, Michael Kors, Pottery Barn, Procter & Gamble, Qurate Retail Group (QVC/HSN), Ralph Lauren, Raymour & Flanigan, Sherwin-Williams, Skechers, Tesla, The Home Depot, Timberland, Trek Bicycle, Ugg, Victoria's Secret, Walmart, Wayfair, and zappos, among more than 1,000 others.
The full report is available for download here. For more information about Lucidworks' AI solutions, visit Lucidworks.com.
About Lucidworks
Lucidworks transforms complex data into actionable insights through AI-powered search and product discovery solutions. Clients achieve 391% ROI and are 2.5x more likely to deploy AI initiatives successfully. Global leaders like Lenovo, Morgan Stanley, and American Express rely on Lucidworks to power digital experiences that drive business results. Learn more at Lucidworks.com.
Contact: pr@lucidworks.com
