AI Reports · Deloitte · 2026-10-13 · Report / white paper
AI ROI: The paradox of rising investment and elusive returns
Based on a 2025 Deloitte survey of 1,854 executives across Europe and the Middle East and 24 in-depth interviews, this report finds AI spending is rising while returns are slow and hard to measure. Most respondents said a typical AI use case takes two to four years to reach satisfactory ROI, and only six percent reported payback within a year. Leading enterprises are shifting toward CEO-led, selective, organization-wide AI programs.