Survey of 500 U.S. CIOs and CTOs at $500M+ companies reflects AI experimentation without proven ROI as the new norm, with a more disciplined, data-driven approach.
Walnut Creek, CA, March 31, 9 am ET 2025 – The latest study from Solvd, an AI engineering company, reflects an evolving maturation across the enterprise market regarding AI integrations. Rather than a rapid, hype-driven push, organizations appear to be moving forward with more deliberate, thoughtful approaches to AI adoption.
Solvd CIO & CTO AI Research 2026, conducted by Wakefield Research among 500 U.S. CIOs and CTOs at companies with at least $500M in annual revenue (fielded December 9 – 22, 2025) reveals the coexistence of data-driven AI adoption and continued experimentation, against a backdrop of mounting pressure to justify investments. Other key themes from the research include a significant evolution in governance practices, low levels of integration for AI tools, and the need for external resources to implement AI.
“So much of today’s conversations around AI are focused on the extremes, but the situation on the ground is far more nuanced,” said Mike Hulbert, CEO of Solvd. “The reality is, most companies are still in active experimentation mode; only 20% have found high-value use cases for AI at this stage. As the market matures, we have to rethink traditional IT approaches. Solvd is helping to fill these gaps with deep expertise, experience, and strategic execution.”
Key findings from the report include:
- AI leadership and organizational structure
- Responsibility for AI still mostly lies in the hands of CIOs/CTOs (75%)
- 80% reported at least one AI project failure due to lack of visibility and oversight
- Responsibility for AI still mostly lies in the hands of CIOs/CTOs (75%)
- AI investment, ROI and performance measurement
- 70% characterize the business cases of individual AI initiatives as generating small to moderate positive ROI
- 72% believe their company is likely to shut down an AI project in the next year based solely on not meeting KPIs
- 82% agree that more and more, the board is questioning the amount their company is spending on AI
- AI governance maturity and practices
- 100% of companies confirm they have begun to establish governance
- Half of CIOs/CTOs (50%) report that AI governance in their organizations is in place but evolving as business needs change
- 66% see their approach to governance as more proactive rather than reactive
- AI integration across the enterprise
- 75% of CIOs/CTOs expect 50% or less of their workforce will use AI daily by end of 2026
- The primary driver of daily AI usage is the availability of AI tools or platforms
- Over half (59%) leverage cloud provider AI services to implement AI initiatives
What the findings mean
AI is changing not only technology itself but also the mindset and attitudes of technology leaders, and this research reinforces this shift. As CIOs and CTOs are becoming more and more intentional in decision-making, they are trying to frame “AI success” using measurable and reliable metrics that can be clearly communicated to senior executives – especially as pressure to justify AI investment continues to grow.
However, if 80% of AI projects failed at least once from lack of visibility and oversight, despite some form of established governance, it may indicate a lack of mature infrastructure. Simply put, enterprises are still trying to find a proper way to manage AI initiatives. At the same time, the data suggests steady progress regarding initiatives that deliver at least small to moderate ROI.
From a technological perspective, AI implementation remains a process that often requires external support (such as consultancies, boutique AI firms and cloud providers), reflecting the fragmented nature of today’s AI ecosystem.
About Solvd
Solvd has been implementing AI in corporations and products for over a decade, serving clients across technology, ecommerce, retail, fintech, hospitality, and banking. Deep understanding of both the latest AI capabilities and the real challenges of implementation is at the core of what we do. Our team includes world-class researchers working with the most advanced clients to drive innovation and competitive advantage, with an active presence at leading conferences including NeurIPS, ICML, and ECCV.
About Wakefield Research
Wakefield Research is a leading, independent provider of quantitative, qualitative, and hybrid market research for thought leadership and strategic insights. Wakefield Research is a partner to the world’s leading brands and agencies, including 50 of the Fortune 100. We conduct research in nearly 100 countries, and our surveys appear regularly in top-tier media. Learn more at www.wakefieldresearch.com.
Media contact
For Solvd:
Weronika Szota
wszota@solvd.com
For media:
Craig Corbett
craig@publicize.co
