Fortune 500 can risk USD 98B yearly by prioritising productivity over AI

In the rapidly evolving world of work, a new paradigm is emerging. While the global conversation has fixated on how AI can make individual workers more efficient, a new report from Atlassian reveals a more profound truth: the real value of AI lies in its ability to transform teamwork. The AI Collaboration Index 2025 highlights a critical disconnect: despite widespread adoption and significant personal productivity gains, most companies are failing to unlock AI’s transformative potential for the organisation as a whole.

This is a challenge the report calls the "productivity pitfall", where an overemphasis on individual efficiency can ironically worsen existing problems like silos and disconnected goals. In fact, focusing on personal productivity over innovation could cost Fortune 500 companies an estimated USD 98 billion annually in lost returns on AI investments.

India's AI tipping point

Leading the charge in AI adoption is India, where 77% of knowledge workers now use generative AI daily, a significant leap from 46% in 2024. This adoption rate outpaces counterparts in the US (59%), Germany (54%), and Australia (45%). Indian professionals are also reporting immense personal benefits, saving an average of 1.3 hours a day and experiencing a 33% productivity boost.

But this is not just about efficiency. Indian workplaces are also proving to be a "safe space" for AI experimentation, with 86% of professionals supporting its use. This supportive environment is fostering a culture of resilience; only 6% of workers give up when AI results fall short. Instead, they are refining prompts (30%) or providing examples (33%) to improve the output, a clear sign of growing AI maturity in the country.

The shift to strategic collaboration

While individual gains are encouraging, Atlassian's Molly Sands, Head of the Teamwork Lab, emphasises that the next wave of value comes from "using AI to connect knowledge, coordinate work, and align teams." The report distinguishes between a "simple AI user" and a "strategic AI collaborator", someone who sees AI as a "team of expert advisors who can enhance decision making". The data shows that workers whose managers model AI use are four times more likely to integrate it into their daily workflows and three times more likely to become strategic collaborators.

The report identifies a clear blueprint for companies looking to bridge the gap between individual gains and company-wide transformation. The 4% of organisations that are seeing transformational benefits are doing three things differently:

Building a Connected Knowledge Base: These companies treat AI as a consumer of organisational knowledge, encouraging teams to work in AI-accessible spaces like digital whiteboards and shared pages10. This ensures that AI can access the right data and information, a need expressed by 79% of knowledge workers.

Enabling AI-Powered Coordination: They set up integrated systems where AI can provide real-time insights across workstreams. For example, AI can spot a spike in customer requests on social media and quickly guide the product team to make timeline adjustments and the marketing team to create targeted content.

Making AI Part of the Team: This involves clearly defining AI's role at the start of each project, much like assigning responsibilities to a human team member. This not only streamlines workflows but also fosters a deeper, more intentional partnership with the technology.

Ultimately, the findings of the AI Collaboration Index 2025 underscore a pivotal moment in the AI journey. The path to unlocking the full potential of AI isn't through isolated efficiency gains, but through a deliberate and strategic shift toward AI-powered teamwork. Organisations that embrace this shift will be positioned to not only survive but thrive in the future of work.