In this year’s State of Competitive Intelligence Report, one theme came through loud and clear: AI is changing the way CI teams work.

Across hundreds of responses from B2B competitive professionals, AI adoption surged, workflows evolved, and expectations shifted dramatically. If you're looking to modernize your compete program and drive real revenue impact, this is your AI wake-up call.

AI Adoption Is Up 76% And It’s Just Getting Started

Last year, many CI teams were dabbling with AI. This year, they’re operationalizing it. In 2024 we asked "Do you use AI to assist with your CI responsibilities?" At that time, many companies were starting to dig into ChatGPT — mostly for copy editing help. For those who were already using AI, we asked "how often do you use AI tools?" and 48% mentioned daily. This year that percentage jumped to 60%. AI is becoming a core part of the competitive workflow. More companies are building cross-functional AI task force groups to uncover high-impact use cases tailored to each department’s unique needs, and that includes competitive enablement.

AI Is Doing More Than Summarizing

Yes, AI is great for summarizing content and that’s still the most common use case (76% of respondents use AI in this way). But the real breakout? AI-powered analysis.

In 2024, only 34% of CI teams reported that they used AI to analyze large volumes of competitive data. In 2025, that number nearly doubled to 64%! Teams are no longer content with using AI to simply save time. They’re using it to uncover patterns, surface strategic insights, and inform deal strategy in ways that simply weren’t feasible before.

CI Teams Want AI That Thinks — Not Just Fetches

In 2024, teams were looking to AI to automate intel collection. Fast forward to 2025 and the expectations have shifted. CI pros want more. Last year we asked "If AI could automate one part of your job, which would you pick?" Collecting intel was the top choice at 56% in 2024 but now collecting intel (35%) and analyzing intel (35%) are equally prioritized. Also, a higher percentage of respondents mentioned "creating content" — from 16% in 2024 to 25% in 2025. 

The main takeaway? Teams are hungry for higher-leverage AI that can interpret, generate, and enable, not just aggregate.

87% Boost in Sales Effectiveness with AI for Sellers

It’s not just the compete team seeing gains. When sellers get access to AI-powered tools like interfaces that let them ask questions and receive dynamic, deal-ready answers — the impact is massive.

Teams that give sellers access to AI interfaces saw an 87% increase in sales effectiveness when it comes to competitive deals.

That’s a staggering return and it points to a future where self-serve, real-time, AI-powered enablement becomes the norm.

Curious to see how Crayon's AI could help your team win more head-to-head competitive deals? Check out the 2 minute product tour.