The present study explores the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within theItalian corporate landscape, emphasizing the interplay between organizationalstrategy and technological integration. Despite the widespread recognition of AI asa transformative economic force, empirical realities suggest a complex landscapewhere successful implementation varies significantly. By focusing on the organi-zational prerequisites, governance mechanisms, and the crucial role of human-AIcollaboration, this research aims to dissect the factors that enable or hinder thecreation of value through AI. Methodologically, the work employs a two-step qualitative approach. An initialexploratory survey of 15 companies served to map the current state of AI maturityand identify prevailing adoption patterns. This preliminary phase laid the ground-work for the core of the investigation: a multiple case study analysis derived fromin-depth semi-structured interviews.