According to a study by PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) carried out among 4,454 CEOs of companies, just over half have not yet achieved revenue growthnor cost savings, as a result of their investments in AIsometimes very large. Only 12% of them have recorded lower costs and higher income, while 55% have noticed neither one nor the other. 13% reduced their costs without changes in their income, and another 8% improved their income without increasing expenses. 1% had more expenses and fewer benefits.
26% have recorded a decrease in expenses, but almost the same percentage has seen them grow. Additionally, AI adoption remains limited. Even in use cases in which it is seen that there are more possibilities for its implementation, such as demand generation (22%), support services (20%) or product development (19%). Only a minority are deploying AI on a large scale.
In 2025, in fact, another PwC study already found that only 14% of workers used generative AI on a daily basis in their work, which implies that there is a possibility that they do not understand it, or that they are not aware of the risks and benefits of using AI services. In any case, the potential for improvement in this aspect in the company is high.
Despite everything, at PwC they continue with their commitment to AI, and point out that it is necessary to increase investment and that tactical and isolated AI projects often do not offer measurable value. Instead, they ensure that tangible results usually come from enterprise-level deployments consistent with business strategy.
On the other hand, PwC points out that the confidence of CEOs in 2026 is the lowest in the last five years: only 30% are optimistic about an increase in income, compared to 38% who in 2025 believed they would improve. This is due to rising geopolitical risks as well as increased cyber threats. But also to the uncertainty about the benefits and disadvantages of AI.
In view of the global situation, concerns about tariffs due to the Trump Administration’s erratic approach remain present. Almost a third of CEOs who participated in the study say they expect tariffs to reduce their company’s profit margins in 2026. In the United States, 22% say their company is very or extremely exposed to tariffs.
In any case, The report reveals the rather precarious state of AI services right now.. Industry leaders may want to bet heavily on technology, but company results suggest that the problem arising from the gap between expectations and business results has yet to be solved.
