Why the Mid-Market Will Determine AI's Economic Impact
Why the Mid-Market Will Determine AI's Economic Impact
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, but its true economic impact will not be determined by experimentation alone. It will be determined by adoption at scale. Nowhere is that more consequential than in the mid-market, where most people work and where productivity gains translate into higher wages, stronger growth, and more resilient local economies.
Despite the excitement around AI, adoption is uneven. A 2025 OECD study shows that AI use among large firms is roughly three times higher than among smaller ones. Yet, nearly 90% of mid-market companies plan to implement AI in 2026, according to JPMorgan. The challenge isn't ambition or capability; it's execution. The ambition is there. The gap is execution.
For mid-market organizations, AI only delivers value when it's trusted, usable and aligned to real operational constraints. These companies do not have the luxury of prolonged pilot programs or unclear returns. They are held to enterprise-level expectations without enterprise-level resources, which makes successful adoption both harder and more important.
Mid-Market Companies Are the Proving Ground for AI
The mid-market represents the most meaningful test for AI's next phase. These organizations operate with limited margin for error, high accountability to customers and employees, and an
immediate need to demonstrate ROI. Success requires more than isolated innovation or technical breakthroughs—it demands coordinated effort across the technology ecosystem. By collaborating across infrastructure, models, and applications, companies can build the trust, simplicity, and reliability mid-market organizations need for AI to deliver real productivity and broad economic impact.
From Experimentation to Measurable Outcomes
At Freshworks, products such as Freshservice, Freshdesk, and Freddy AI Agent are designed to embed AI into tools teams already use, enabling employees to collaborate more effectively and focus on higher-value work. By integrating AI directly into everyday workflows, organizations can realize measurable productivity gains quickly, making AI a practical tool rather than a theoretical promise.
The result is not AI for its own sake, but AI that supports employees, improves service, and delivers business impact in weeks rather than years.
What It Takes to Scale AI Responsibly
Real economic impact from AI requires collective action. Technology companies must ensure their infrastructure, models, and applications work seamlessly together. Policymakers can accelerate adoption by creating clear, predictable regulatory frameworks that protect trust while lowering barriers to access.
When these elements align, mid-market organizations can deploy AI confidently, turning experimentation into measurable growth.
The mid-market is where AI's promise becomes economic reality. As adoption accelerates, these businesses will demonstrate how AI can improve productivity, support employees, and strengthen the communities and local economies they serve.
Freshworks uncomplicates business to help organizations apply AI responsibly and effectively through people-first design and unified experiences that drive measurable outcomes. Learn more at Freshworks.com.
This advertiser content was paid for and created by Acumen. Neither CBS News nor CBS News Brand Studio, the brand marketing arm of CBS News, were involved in the creation of this content.