A new study by SAP and Oxford Economics has revealed businesses around the world are increasingly driving positive return on investment (ROI) from AI, even as challenges continue to accrue.
While the amount the average global business spends on AI increased slightly to US$28 million this year, the level of ROI from that investment has spiked. Globally, companies expect to drive ROI of 21% this year (US$6.3 million), up from 16% last year. That ROI is expected to grow to 38% in two years’ time (US$15.9 million).
Agentic AI is central to those ROI expectations. In the next two years, average ROI from agentic AI is expected to reach US$17.6 million, more than quadrupling from last year’s estimates (US$4.3 million).
These insights have been revealed in new global research, Value of AI Report 2026, which surveyed 2,600 business leaders across 13 countries.*
Commenting on the research, SAP Chief AI Strategy Officer Sean Kask noted, “AI has moved from experiment to execution, and that’s beginning to show real returns. But there’s still a long way to go. Because AI that lacks context—whether that’s processes, data, or governance—at best creates activity without outcomes and at worst creates risk.”
