KPMG Survey: Nearly Half of Firms Scale Back AI Agents as ROI Remains Elusive

KPMG's 'Global AI Pulse Q2 2026' report reveals a stark disconnect between value and return in enterprise AI adoption. While 76% of executives say AI is creating meaningful business value, only 7% can demonstrate clear ROI, and nearly half have delayed or scaled back AI agent deployments due to cost overruns. This contradiction has fueled concerns about an AI bubble, with Polymarket pricing a 14-15% probability of a severe downturn or bubble burst by end-2026.

Confirmed

Value-ROI gap: Based on a survey of over 2,100 executives across 20 countries (m4: 2,145 executives). 76% see value (up quarter-over-quarter), but only 7% can prove ROI.
Cost blindness and deployment cuts: AI agent deployment costs exceed benefits; only 35% of companies have clear visibility into AI operating costs. 49% have delayed or scaled back AI agent plans, yet AI spending continues to rise.
Employee incentives and paradox: Nearly two-thirds plan to incentivize AI usage, even creating internal leaderboards (e.g., 'token-maxxing'), highlighting the tension between promotion and cost control.

Unconfirmed

Bubble probability: Polymarket's prediction market shows bearish sentiment, with probabilities ranging from 14% to 15% (m3: 15%, m5: 14%), subject to market fluctuations.

Why it matters

Rising enterprise AI spending without demonstrable ROI underscores the core obstacle to scaling AI from concept to reality. If cost overruns and value disconnect persist, enterprise cutbacks will inevitably impact the broader AI industry's expansion and valuation.

2026-08-08 ~ 2026-08-09 · 6 related posts

Primary sources

KPMG Report: 76% Leaders See AI Value, But Only 7% Achieve Established ROI — rohanpaul_ai · 2026-08-08 21:20 (UTC+08:00)
KPMG Survey: Only 35% of Enterprises Track AI Costs, Half Pause Agents Over Bills — sanjaykalra · 2026-08-09 06:31 (UTC+08:00)
Polymarket Pegs 15% Chance of AI Bubble Burst by End of 2026 — Polymarket · 2026-08-08 02:45 (UTC+08:00)

KPMG: Nearly Half of Executives Delay AI Agent Deployments as Costs Exceed Benefits — Polymarket · 2026-08-08
[source] Polymarket Pegs 15% Chance of AI Bubble Burst by End of 2026 — Polymarket · 2026-08-08
Only 7% of Executives Can Prove ROI on AI Spending, KPMG Finds — Polymarket · 2026-08-08
[source] KPMG Report: 76% Leaders See AI Value, But Only 7% Achieve Established ROI — rohanpaul_ai · 2026-08-08
[source] KPMG Survey: Only 35% of Enterprises Track AI Costs, Half Pause Agents Over Bills — sanjaykalra · 2026-08-09

1 near-duplicate retellings: Polymarket