Methodology

For the AIQ 50, Fortune built on ServiceNow's Enterprise AI Maturity Index, an annual benchmark of organizational AI readiness, and partnered with Enterprise Technology Research (ETR) to capture how Fortune 500 companies are deploying AI.

Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 19, ETR surveyed IT leaders at Fortune 500 firms and validated 165 responses. Respondents assessed their own company's AI implementation and return on investment, while also rating how effectively competitors in their sector were adopting the technology.

The final AIQ ranking score is a weighted average of three components:

• Self-report score: Companies' own assessments of AI implementation and ROI
• Peer-report score: Competitors' views on governance, competitive advantage, and sector leadership
• Peer-selection score: How often a company was chosen as the most effective AI adopter in its sector

Together, these scores created a consistent lens for evaluating a company's adoption, outcomes, and sector leadership when it came to AI. Overall, companies from 18 different sectors, including finance, healthcare, and retail, were included on the AIQ 50 list.

Healthcare leaders in AI

For healthcare, Fortune highlighted four companies that are maximizing AI's transformative potential:

25. UnitedHealth Group*
27. Centene
35. Elevance Health
36. Johnson & Johnson

These companies are advancing AI in areas from predictive analysis and claims management to drug development and patient engagement — evidence that the sector is laying groundwork for more efficient and personalized care delivery.

For the full ranking, click here.  

*Advisory Board is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.