Overview
- Surveys place 72% of CEOs as the main AI decision‑makers with plans to double spending in 2026 and to keep funding projects even without fast results.
- Only 6% of firms attribute more than 5% of operating profit to AI, with PwC identifying the core obstacle as a workforce skills gap that stalls scaling.
- New playbooks target scale through process, as The Flock screens practitioners with an AI Verified skills check and Restart delivers a five‑week MVP after an IARC readiness review.
- Projections point to rising capital for “physical AI” that senses and acts on the real world, with a cited $61 billion market by 2034 and use cases in factories, farms, logistics and traffic control.
- Governance and design risks are sharper, with OECD‑documented public‑sector missteps such as the Dutch benefits scandal from biased data and studies showing answer‑giving chatbots can undermine later unaided learning.