Oct. 20, 2026 — Research from Columbus found that as organizations move artificial intelligence from experimentation into core business operations, the next phase of AI adoption will be defined by the ability to demonstrate measurable business value. Fielded by Centiment, the survey collected thoughts from 210 senior IT and technology decision-makers on their organizations’ AI adoption, strategies, and investments.
Just under half (48.6%) of respondents say their organizations made significant AI investments over the past 12 months, while only 25.2% reported making major investments. With that said, over 80% say AI is either meeting or exceeding expectations, with most being very or extremely confident that AI can address their most pressing business challenges.
“The conversation is no longer whether AI works. It's whether organizations can prove what it's worth,” said CJ Combs, senior sales director of data and AI at Columbus. “Companies are seeing productivity gains, but the real question is whether they can connect those gains to measurable business outcomes. We need to move beyond the AI demo and the license and start showing the value receipt. What changed, what improved, and what the business actually gained from the investment.”
Productivity is the most frequently reported outcome, cited by 40.5% of respondents, followed by improved quality and accuracy at 21.4%. By comparison, only 7.6% report revenue growth and 5.7% report reduced operating costs as achieved outcomes. The findings point to operational performance improvements that have yet to consistently translate into revenue or margin gains.
AI integration is emerging as a critical priority in operations, IT infrastructure, governance, and cybersecurity, but is also seen as the capability respondents most need to strengthen. 72.9% say their leadership and workforce are equipped to turn AI investments into measurable outcomes, with respondents split between the titles of Chief Data Officer, CIO/CTO, and “dedicated AI leaders” as the executives best positioned to translate AI investment.
"AI is exposing a challenge that many organizations already face: capabilities are distributed, and accountability isn't always clear," states Ed Kunnary, U.S. lead of strategy and business transformation at Columbus. "The organizations that realize the greatest value from AI will be those that align technology, data, operations, and people around measurable outcomes and clear decision ownership."
To learn more about Columbus, visit https://www.columbusglobal.com/.
Columbus is a consultancy that brings business and tech together, delivering digital value through human intelligence to enable customers to innovate and grow. With more than 1,500 employees, we guide our customers through their digital transformation and deliver lasting value within the food and beverage, manufacturing, retail, distribution, and life sciences industries. We advise, implement, and manage business-critical solutions within Cloud Services, ERP, Data & AI, Digital Commerce, Business Process Automation, Enterprise Information Management, Cybersecurity and more. With headquarters in Denmark and a global presence, we ensure local delivery of our services on a global scale.
