Data shows strong momentum as local businesses embrace emerging technology
FOX CITIES, Wis. (November 19, 2025) The Fox Cities Chamber has released the region’s first AI Readiness Survey, providing a snapshot to date of how local employers are preparing for – and already using – artificial intelligence. The assessment, compiled from 45 organizations across the Fox Valley, reveals a business community that is highly curious, increasingly engaged, and moving quickly from experimentation to structured adoption.
The survey, conducted in partnership with Blackline, combines 45 organizational assessments and survey responses collected at the Fox Cities Chamber’s AI Business Summit on November 5, 2025. The assessment evaluated readiness across six domains: strategy, data, governance, architecture, people, and operations. The region’s overall AI maturity score is 2.30 out of 5, placing the Fox Cities firmly in the “developing” stage of adoption; an expected and encouraging benchmark for a mid-sized region early on its AI journey.
“This survey confirms what we witnessed at the Summit: Fox Cities employers are ready to learn, ready to experiment, and ready to lead,” said Becky Bartoszek, President and CEO of the Fox Cities Chamber. “These results give us a clear starting point and a benchmark to measure our progress in the years ahead. As AI continues to reshape how companies operate and compete, we want our region to move forward with confidence, responsibility, and a shared understanding of what’s possible.”
Key Findings
- AI interest is high and accelerating. Nearly all surveyed organizations report strong executive awareness and enthusiasm for AI’s potential.
- Pilot activity is growing rapidly. More than half of organizations have already begun experimenting with copilots, workflow automation, or analytics pilots.
- Formal governance is emerging. One in four employers now have an AI policy or oversight framework—an essential foundation for safe and scalable adoption.
- Data readiness remains the biggest barrier. While cloud adoption has surpassed 80%, many organizations continue to struggle with siloed data and manual workflows.
- Workforce training is expanding. About 35% of organizations have launched internal or external AI literacy programs, marking a notable increase in regional upskilling efforts.
Readiness levels vary across industries, with higher education, professional services, and advanced manufacturing showing the strongest maturity, while sectors such as healthcare, nonprofit, creative industries, and small retail are early in their adoption but demonstrate significant enthusiasm and potential.
Despite being early in the AI adoption curve, the Fox Cities shows strong indicators of momentum. Organizations with governance structures and clearer data strategies are advancing quickly, and microbusinesses are proving to be some of the fastest adopters due to their agility and lean decision-making.
The survey also highlights the region’s collaborative advantage. Cross-sector partnerships, anchored by employers, educators, workforce boards, and chambers, are emerging as a critical driver of progress and a differentiator for the Fox Valley.
Full survey results can be viewed on the chamber’s website: FCC AI Readiness survey results
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Building on the success of its 2025 event, the Fox Cities Chamber will host a second daylong AI Business Summit on November 3, 2026 at the Hilton Paper Valley in Appleton. Watch for details.
