Three out of four global executives say they intend to prioritise AI investment even in times of economic uncertainty. This is revealed by the findings of our English-language study.
At the same time, the study highlights a tension: whilst budgets are growing, the added value for many organisations remains limited. The reason lies less in a lack of will than in a lack of ability to scale AI effectively beyond isolated use cases.
Many companies are still in an experimental phase. Pilot projects deliver isolated efficiency gains, but do not have a lasting impact on productivity, cost structure or the quality of decision-making.
The key difference lies in orchestration. AI pioneers are moving away from isolated pilots towards coordinated, agent-based systems that link functions, workflows and decisions across the entire organisation. The focus is on transformation. Already, 32 per cent are scaling up AI agents, whilst a further 27 per cent are orchestrating multiple agents in parallel.
As AI matures, the focus is shifting away from the risks associated with experimentation and towards governance, data quality and integration. Whilst 75 per cent of executives express concerns about security and data protection, AI pioneers demonstrate significantly greater confidence in their governance models – a key prerequisite for scaling up.
Partner, Head of AI, Strategy and Management Consulting
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
