IT Leaders See Measurable AI Gains, but No Breakthrough

Tech entrepreneur Azeem Azhar spoke with about 160 IT vice presidents at a conference in Las Vegas. Two-thirds of them named measurable results from AI in their work. Only eight said their results were big enough to justify pulling a CEO out of vacation. Meanwhile, a Boston Consulting Group survey found that 70% of CEOs worldwide say the success of AI projects affects how their own performance gets judged.

This matches what I see in my own work with agents. A small measurable result is easy to get. A result large enough to change the whole business is rare. Azhar calls this slow progress rather than a breakthrough, and I agree with that assessment. The hype around AI in business right now is clearly bigger than this kind of steady, practical benefit.