Overview
- Companies plan to raise AI spending to roughly 1.7% of revenues in 2026, more than twice 2025 levels.
- 94% of respondents intend to keep investing even without immediate returns.
- 72% of CEOs now lead AI decisions, with half saying their job security depends on AI success.
- About 90% expect AI agents to yield measurable ROI this year, and over 30% of budgets are directed to agentic AI.
- Trailblazers prioritize talent, allocating about 60% of AI budgets to upskilling, as confidence skews higher in Greater China, Japan, India and the Middle East than in the UK, US and Europe.