Despite uncertainty around its value creation, companies are still spending big on AI.
CEOs from around the world say that artificial intelligence is changing everything from customer service and core operations to decision-making and product innovation. Now, a new EY-Parthenon survey of 1,200 CEOs of large companies across 21 countries shows that 80% have accelerated AI investment this year compared with 2025. Nearly all CEOs (99%) expect that AI will change their workforce strategy over the next three years.
Still, only one-fifth (19%) of CEOs are satisfied with the AI regulatory frameworks that exist today.
“AI is moving quickly, and companies are under pressure to keep up without overspending,” one CEO of an American media and entertainment company said, according to the survey. “It is driving competition, lifting expectations for personalization and demanding investment before the benefits are proven, while also increasing data privacy risks.”
When it comes to the main hurdles of generating value with AI, 20% of CEOs attributed their constraints to limited AI skills among the workforce. As a result, leaders are rethinking the roles of employees and new hires.
Nearly half (42%) of leaders are thinking about reskilling and upskilling initiatives. Another 44% are redesigning roles to combine human and AI capabilities. More than a third of CEOs also said they are increasing hiring for AI, data, and digital roles.
“Managing a large-scale reskilling effort at an established industrial company like ours is more of a cultural challenge than a technical one,” said one European CEO in the automotive sector. “To move from a traditional manufacturing mindset to an AI-augmented one, leadership must focus on consistently communicating that AI is a tool for the craftsman, not a replacement for the craft.”
Another surveyed CEO in South America’s retail sector said that reskilling and training needs to be “part of the working day, not an add-on.”
Leaders are not just thinking about AI and how it is changing business, either. The survey found that geopolitical tensions emerged as a key concern for businesses, with 56% of CEOs citing it as a “top near-term risk.”
Because of these combined factors, 24% of CEOs said they are focused on strengthening financial resilience, while 20% are investing in upskilling, growing their talent pipelines, and using tech to increase productivity.
Instead of rapidly expanding, the survey suggests that CEOs are focused on preserving what has already been built—especially as they deal with mounting pressure when it comes to AI’s ROI. Another recent survey found that 80% of CEOs worry their job is at risk if AI fails this year, while they are also concerned about overinvesting in the tech.
Coupled with employee concerns and resentment around mandated AI use in the workplace, it seems that CEOs and workers alike are asking the same questions about AI’s worth.
