Productivity and AI: how to spend less and earn more
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
AI is often presented as a clear driver of productivity. Automating, accelerating, optimizing: the promises are numerous. Yet, in practice, the impact remains uneven. According to Accenture , companies that have effectively structured their processes around AI and automation can achieve up to 2.4 times greater productivity than their competitors. By 2025, the challenge for startups will therefore be to transform AI investments into real gains.
Why AI doesn't always generate the expected gains
AI projects often target marginal optimizations within companies. AI is added to existing processes without questioning their structure. As a result, technological costs increase without a proportional improvement in productivity.
Another major obstacle lies in measuring the return on investment (ROI) of AI . The most frequent gains (time saved, faster decisions, reduced errors) are difficult to capture with traditional financial indicators. Organizations then struggle to make informed choices and underinvest in the most impactful initiatives.
Spending less: when AI becomes a lever for efficiency
When properly targeted, AI can significantly reduce operational costs. AI automation of repetitive or low-value tasks improves operational reliability while freeing up time for teams.
But these gains are only sustainable if AI is considered at the scale of the entire process. Automating a single task often creates new points of friction elsewhere. The most mature organizations use AI to streamline decision-making chains, reduce delays, and eliminate operational back-and-forth.
AI productivity is thus built gradually, through the accumulation of structural gains, rather than through an immediate spectacular effect.
Earn more: creating value beyond automation
The most powerful productivity levers go beyond simple cost reduction. By improving the quality, speed, and consistency of decisions, AI directly impacts the organization's overall performance. These gains, often less visible than automation, nevertheless have a direct impact on operational efficiency.
In startups, AI projects must therefore be aligned with a long-term vision: product, go-to-market strategy, and customer experience. AI becomes a structuring decision-making tool, capable of adapting to growth, rather than simply a lever for one-off optimization.
115K is La Banque Postale's venture capital fund. It invests in fintech, insurtech, cybersecurity, data, and AI startups across the European Union, from Seed to Series B.
