New Research Reveals Disconnect Between AI Expectations and ROI Reality for Enterprise Organizations
London, November 17, 2025 – In exclusive research from the diginomica network, 35 CIOs and CTOs from major global organizations share insights into the challenges of AI adoption. Unlike traditional survey-based research, this report captures unfiltered, first-hand perspectives from technology leaders responsible for making technology decisions at some of the world’s leading companies.
The report found that while 93% of diginomica network members have implemented AI in some form within their organizations, there is a significant gap between expectations and reality when it comes to returns on investment. Despite AI success rates exceeding 50% for over three quarters of organizations, technology leaders consistently report that AI has failed to meet the elevated expectations set by boards and executive teams.
One of the key challenges identified is the rapid pace of AI advancement, which can make it difficult for CIOs to manage stakeholder expectations and maintain trust. Proof of concepts that may have failed just nine months ago are now viable, creating unique challenges for technology leaders.
The research also highlights that data quality and change management, not technology, are the primary barriers to realizing the full potential of AI. Poor adoption strategies result in organizations capturing as little as 10% of the potential benefits of AI.
Ian Cohen, a highly experienced CIO who has led technology at Lloyds, the Financial Times, and Addison Lee, comments, “There is so much hype, and it is our job to temper that enthusiasm with a healthy dose of reality.” Cohen emphasizes that CIOs must move beyond being “order takers” and become strategic advisors, guiding business leaders on what to realistically expect from AI investments.
The report identifies several critical barriers to successful AI adoption, including poor data quality, insufficient change management, legacy system constraints, and a fundamental misunderstanding of AI capabilities across the C-suite. The research also notes that many organizations confuse different AI technologies, such as agentic AI, generative AI, and robotics.
The importance of change management is also highlighted in the report. Without proper adoption strategies, organizations risk repeating past technology implementation failures. Cohen warns, “We used to say that people only see a 10-20% benefit or improvement in productivity through technology solutions because they only understand or use the basic features. This is because we never properly drive education and adoption. We risk the same happening with AI.”
Mark Chillingworth, author of the research and diginomica network facilitator, thanks the community for sharing their experiences and states, “Our community of CIOs and CTOs shows the business reality of AI – it is complicated, and there are a host of business challenges to be addressed.”
To download the full report, “CIOs Navigate AI’s Weight of Expectation and Explore Opportunities”, click here.
About diginomica
diginomica is an independent media and analyst property serving enterprise leaders in the digital era. Launched in 2013, diginomica delivers authoritative reporting and analysis that separates signal from noise, with a team of experienced writers and analysts based in the US and Europe who bring decades of enterprise technology expertise. Unlike traditional advertising-driven media, diginomica focuses on reader quality, engagement, and influence, providing rich insights based on daily contact with both technology buyers and vendors. diginomica has taken a clear stance on the responsible use of generative AI in journalism and is deeply committed to reader experience, accessibility, and trust. For more information, visit diginomica.com or contact Derek@diginomica.com.
About diginomica network
The diginomica network is a curated, invitation-only forum of over 400 CIOs and CTOs from leading global organizations who participate in confidential dialogues about strategic technology challenges. The network provides a trusted environment for technology leaders to share experiences, challenges, and solutions away from vendor influence, facilitating peer-to-peer learning and collaboration among enterprise technology leadership.
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Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.