← ALL POSTS
Return on AI Insight·August 31, 2026·Jetson Collective
Reporting AI returns isn’t the same as measuring them
Most firms now say AI is paying off. Far fewer can quantify it, and very few can tie it to profit.
The story · ReturnOnAI.ai · August 31, 2026
Return on AI: Weekly Digest – August 31, 2026
Twelve findings on ROI measurement, operational deployments, workforce impact and network readiness, including warnings on outsourcing and agent sprawl.
78%of firms report measurable AI returns (McKinsey)
35%of finance leaders can quantify AI ROI (Protiviti)
6%attribute EBIT gains to AI agents (McKinsey)
1 dayper week saved for recruiters (Paylocity)
Our take
The numbers don’t line up. Seventy-eight percent of firms report measurable AI returns, yet only 35% of finance leaders can quantify them, and just 6% attribute profit gains to AI agents. Many companies are reporting activity and calling it return.
Forrester added two warnings worth noting. Outsourcing AI work entirely can hollow out a company’s own ability to innovate, and agent counts are climbing into the thousands without governance. Both make measurement harder.
What to do about it
- Ask finance to validate AI returns the way it validates any other investment.
- Keep core AI capability in-house, even when partners do much of the building.
- Keep an inventory of the agents you run, who owns each one, and what it’s for.
Where this fits on the curveStage 01 · Exploring
See customer examples →