Enterprises Struggle to Measure ROI Despite Massive AI Spending

Corporate leaders are aggressively funding artificial intelligence despite a growing inability to measure the technology's financial return. A survey of 715 U.S. professionals by Zapier found that 91% of managers believe AI tools are worth the cost, with 86% planning to increase spending. Over half of these organizations spend more than $100,000 per month on AI, and 40% allocate more than half of their total software budgets to these tools.

However, a significant gap exists between deployment and value. A 2026 Enterprise AI Strategy Pulse Survey from Plug and Play reveals that while 74% of the world's largest enterprises have AI in production, half cannot prove its effectiveness. This trend is mirrored in data from KPMG, where only 7% of leaders report established ROI, and a Deloitte study showing that only 20% of leaders see AI-driven revenue growth despite productivity gains.

Some major firms are already scaling back due to these costs. Microsoft canceled most of its Claude Code licenses, and Uber's Chief Operating Officer noted that AI expenses are becoming harder to justify. Organizations cite security, compliance, and governance as the primary barriers to realizing value, shifting their priorities toward data privacy and explainability over raw performance.