More than half of organisations are already seeing positive returns from artificial intelligence investments, signalling a shift from experimentation to business impact, according to the CIO 2026 Outlook report released by Experis, part of ManpowerGroup.
The report, based on a survey of 1,930 senior technology leaders across 12 countries, found that 54% of respondents reported positive returns on AI investments. At the same time, organisations are placing greater emphasis on linking technology initiatives to business performance, with business and IT alignment replacing cybersecurity as the leading priority for chief information officers.
AI investment enters a new phase
The findings suggest organisations are moving beyond proof-of-concept projects towards measuring tangible business outcomes from AI deployment.
However, the report also points to increasing scrutiny over spending.
Key findings include:
- 54% of technology leaders said AI investments are already delivering positive return on investment.
- 31% believe their organisations are overinvesting in AI.
- Only 17% identified delivering AI solutions as one of the CIO's top responsibilities.
- 60% of technology leaders are actively implementing AI-based technologies into existing systems.
- 34% said automation and AI-powered solutions are generating the strongest production returns.
- 41% still consider cloud computing and scalable digital infrastructure to be the biggest drivers of return on investment.
According to the report, organisations are increasingly focused on demonstrating measurable business value from AI rather than simply expanding adoption.
Business outcomes take priority
For the first time, business and IT alignment has overtaken cybersecurity as the most important priority for CIOs. The report found:
- 48% of IT leaders ranked aligning technology strategy with business objectives as the CIO's top responsibility, up from 34% in 2025.
- 44% identified the pace of technological innovation as the biggest challenge facing their organisations, compared with 34% a year earlier.
- The challenge was most pronounced in Israel (63%), Sweden (57%) and Switzerland (56%).
The findings reflect growing expectations for technology leaders to demonstrate commercial outcomes alongside technology execution.
Skills shortages remain a major concern
Despite growing confidence in AI investments, organisations continue to face significant workforce challenges. The report found:
- 61% of technology leaders believe their peers across the C-suite do not fully understand the CIO's role, up from 49% in 2025.
- 46% identified cybersecurity as the most important capability for IT teams.
- 37% highlighted AI and machine learning skills.
- 31% cited cloud computing expertise.
- CIOs also reported continued difficulties attracting and retaining professionals with rapidly evolving technology skills.
The report noted that conventional hiring approaches are struggling to keep pace with changing technology demands.
Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty remain in focus
While business priorities are changing, technology leaders continue to invest heavily in security and governance.
The report found that 81% of IT leaders consider digital sovereignty a high priority, even though 67% expect to increase their reliance on offshore or nearshore IT delivery during 2026.
Cybersecurity readiness also showed signs of weakening:
- 72% said their risk strategy aligns with cybersecurity preparedness, down from 77% in 2025.
- 72% conduct regular cybersecurity training, compared with 74% last year.
Commenting on the findings, Sanju Ballurkar, President, Experis India, ManpowerGroup, said organisations are shifting their attention from AI adoption to measurable business outcomes. He added that stronger collaboration between business and technology leaders, investment in future-ready talent and robust governance will be critical as AI becomes central to business transformation.
As organisations continue to embed AI into core operations, the role of the CIO is becoming increasingly tied to business performance. The report suggests future success will depend not only on deploying AI technologies but also on developing the skills, governance and organisational alignment needed to translate investment into long-term value.