KPMG: 49% Cut AI Rollouts as Costs Outweigh Value

Nearly half of large organizations have cut back their AI agent rollouts. This happened because operating costs started to exceed the value they produced. Only 7% of senior leaders surveyed said their organization had reached an established return on investment. What's interesting is that planned AI investment remained flat, at about 188 million dollars over the next year. Confidence in AI technology is actually rising, but the ability to prove a financial return is not. Here's the thing: 24% of respondents scaled back or narrowed a deployment, and another 25% delayed or paused further rollout. These actions combine to form the 49% headline figure. KPMG says these moves show a growing willingness to focus investments where returns are strongest. The bottom line is that for businesses, this means fewer or delayed contracts for AI vendors.