AI is still stuck in “efficiency mode.” In many organizations, a technology organization leads AI efforts and is treated as a cost center. Those CIOs are incentivized to optimize for efficiency, not growth. The result is predictable: Tech-led AI strategies deliver productivity improvements, but not transformation. Equally concerning is that technology and AI executives tell us their business partners can’t articulate what they want from AI beyond saving money. That leadership gap bleeds over into the measurement of AI value. While most agree that AI boosts productivity, only 13% report positive EBITDA impact, and fewer than a third link AI contributions to P&L. Without financial accountability, AI becomes an endless pilot treadmill — producing activity without outcomes. To shift AI from incremental savings to strategic advantage, business leaders must step in, define value in P&L terms, and own the linkage between AI-driven productivity and financial performance. But:
Our survey reveals a troubling disconnect: 48% of firms have already cut headcount due to AI