Modernizing A Traditional Industry Through AI Mergers And Acquisitions

InnovationModernizing A Traditional Industry Through AI Mergers And AcquisitionsByFrederik Riskær Pedersen,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 05, 2026, 06:45am EDTFrederik R. Pedersen, CEO and Co-Founder of EasyTranslate, driving innovation at the intersection of AI and human expertise. getty​Traditional industries are often described as slow to adopt AI. For many, the typical ROI: speed, cost and efficiency, isn’t what their clients value most. Instead, trust and expertise bolster long-standing client relationships in traditional industries.​Despite that, AI adoption is rising, but with big gaps. McKinsey’s The State of AI report released earlier this year indicates nearly two-thirds of companies have yet to scale AI across their enterprise. Instead, businesses are stuck in experimentation or pilot phases.​But, adoption is accelerating among newer small businesses. A JPMorganChase Institute study reported that businesses founded in 2025 reached 10% AI adoption in six months, compared to more than six years for those founded in 2019. Reasons include lower costs, cloud delivery and the accessibility of generative AI tools, which became more mainstream in the last few years.​The gap is widening between newer, digitally native businesses moving quickly toward AI adoption versus a slow, cautious progression—often marked by stops and starts, within traditional industries, especially those built on expertise and trust.​That caution is not irrational. In high trust sectors, speed is rarely the primary driver of value. And, if speed jeopardizes trust, it can harm a business’s bottom line. Harvard Business Review famously reported decades ago acquiring a new customer can cost up to 25 times more than retaining an existing one, while a 5% increase in retention can boost profits by 25% to 95%. Forrester’s global B2...