Gartner says only 13% of companies see noticeable AI returns

The spending signal

Mallere says successful companies decide in advance which projects to continue and which to end, even after work has begun. They also plan for how AI agents could change job roles.

The two figures in Gartner’s account point in different directions: few companies report meaningful returns, but most CEOs still intend to spend more on technology.

Returns are still uncertain

Bloomberg CEO Vlad Klyachko says it is too early to assess AI’s economic returns. Bloomberg is investing in the field because it believes the timing is right.

That leaves companies making a commitment before the financial case is settled. I think the most telling part of Mallere’s advice is not to spend more selectively in general, but to decide before a project starts what would justify continuing it.

The announcement is quiet about how Gartner defines “noticeable returns,” or how it measured the 13%. Without that detail, the figure signals a gap between spending and results, but does not show how large the returns are for the companies that do see them.

When most CEOs still plan to raise technology spending, the discipline to stop a project may matter as much as the decision to start one.