The number — 56% of CEOs see no financial return from AI

PwC surveyed 4,454 chief executives across 95 countries: 56% report no measurable financial gain — neither revenue nor cost — from AI over the past twelve months, and only 12% achieve both. The cause is rarely the model itself: PwC points to execution, data foundations, and a lack of integration into processes. Deploying is not enough: financial proof is built month after month, or it never comes. For a small or mid-sized business, the fix is a discipline: put every AI project on the monthly leadership agenda with a single question — how much did it earn or save this month? — and decide based on the answer.

Source: PwC, “29th Global CEO Survey,” January 2026 (4,454 CEOs, 95 countries).