Just 13% Of Companies Getting Real Return On Investment From AI: Survey

Despite the global corporate rush to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) for cost-cutting and profitability, a recent Gartner survey has revealed that the majority of companies were not seeing real returns from the use of the technology. The survey was conducted from May to July 2026, among 2,002 chief information officers (CIOs) and technology executives responsible for implementing AI across their respective companies. Only 13 per cent of CIOs said the use of AI had added any significant value to the company.

The findings by the US-based research firm were presented at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in Orlando. About 58 per cent of CIOs said they face greater pressure to cut costs through AI. Meanwhile, 51 per cent said they expect AI to push up the overall cost of owning and running technology.

"Volume is not value. AI is creating a reckoning for organisations that lack fundamental disciplines, such as defining use-case value ahead of time and establishing criteria for when to walk away," said Alicia Mullery, VP Analyst at Gartner

Mullery said many companies still use funding models built for cloud and software subscriptions, two traditional technology investments. However, for AI, they needed a change.

"Unlike traditional technology costs, which are largely predictable, AI costs are probabilistic and determined at runtime. As enterprise technology funding shifts towards GenAI and agentic AI while investments in legacy infrastructure contract, CIOs will need new approaches to funding, governance and cost accountability," she added.

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'Fewer Job Roles'

The report highlighted that contratry to popular belief, AI will not reduce the headcount as the technology lowers the cost and effort required to produce new work.

"This creates a dual workforce shift where IT headcount can grow, with 40 per cent of respondents expecting to increase IT headcount in 2027, particularly in cybersecurity and data and analytics, while roles simultaneously compress and expand," the survey stated,

Mullery highlighted that AI is blurring boundaries between existing technology jobs, which translates into companies having fewer distinct role types.

"For example, designers can increasingly perform testing activities, while testers participate in design. Consequently, organisations will require fewer distinct role types, even as the span of responsibility within each role expands," Mullery said.