DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: Global business leaders are growing markedly less confident about near-term growth, even as companies continue to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, according to PwC’s latest Global CEO Survey..
The survey, based on responses from more than 4,400 chief executives across nearly 100 countries and released alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos, found that just 30% of CEOs are confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months. That figure has declined steadily from recent years, underscoring persistent uncertainty tied to economic volatility, geopolitical tension and uneven technological returns.
AI, long promoted as a productivity breakthrough, has yet to deliver consistent financial benefits for most companies. PwC reports that while some executives point to gains, the majority say results remain elusive. “Most CEOs say their companies aren’t yet seeing a financial return from investments in AI,” the report states.
Only about a third of respondents said AI investments had increased revenues, while roughly a quarter reported cost reductions. More than half said they saw neither. The findings contrast sharply with the scale of corporate spending and the sweeping promises surrounding generative AI tools.
The report also suggests companies are under pressure to reinvent themselves. Over the past five years, 42% of CEOs said their organisations had entered new industries or sectors — a sign of strategic churn rather than settled confidence.
PwC notes that many leaders expect the next three years to be more challenging than the previous five, a sobering assessment as businesses face rising costs, regulatory complexity and rapid technological change.
For now, the survey paints a picture of executives caught between ambition and results — investing aggressively, but waiting for proof that the strategy will pay off.
You can read the survey at www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey.html