AI continues to experience a backlash in the public discourse and reports also continue of businesses scaling back on their AI efforts as costs surge. A recent survey from KPMG found that nearly half of executives polled have delayed or reduced AI agent deployments because costs are exceeding benefits.
While AI remained a top investment priority for nearly 80 percent of those surveyed in the London-based consultancy’s Global AI Pulse report for the second quarter of 2026, 49 percent said they scaled their AI programs back due to costs.
According to Steve Chase, KPMG International’s Global Head of AI and Digital Innovation, while much of the data in the report shows organizational confidence is on the rise, Q2 of 2026 saw a shift towards pragmatism as the pressure to prove measurable value is increasing.
“This quarter, we’re seeing a recognition from organizations that much of AI’s value depends on understanding what it costs to build, run and scale it,” Chase wrote in the report. “It’s not about rigid cost control but cost visibility. It’s about knowing where money is going, how AI is being used and what outcomes that spend is producing. And while cost visibility is critical, many organizations are still building that capability.”
According to the report, only 26 percent of business leaders surveyed say they have full, real-time visibility into what AI costs to run at scale. A third of leaders cite limited understanding of AI cost structures, including how token pricing works, as a barrier to deploying agents. That has led to relatively few organizations reporting established ROI. While many organizations are realizing benefits from AI, demonstrating measurable financial returns from those investments remains a significantly higher bar, the report said.
