AI redefines business leadership amid global CEO pessimism

Source: CritpoTendencia Original Title: AI Redefines Business Leadership Amid Global CEO Pessimism Original Link: Executive confidence in revenue growth has significantly weakened, in a context where AI adoption, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping corporate priorities worldwide.

According to the PwC 2026 Global CEO Survey, this scenario is already directly influencing how companies evaluate their performance and short-term plans. Only three out of ten CEOs feel confident about their company’s revenue prospects over the next 12 months.

The challenge of turning AI into real growth

Based on the responses collected, the survey—which gathered input from more than 4,400 CEOs across 95 countries—shows that only 30% of executives believe their company will achieve revenue growth in the coming year. This figure marks a significant decline from 38% in 2025 and 56% in 2022.

Among the main factors explaining this decline, the study highlights persistent global political uncertainty, increased cyber risks, and the difficulty many companies face in translating technological investments into tangible business benefits.

In this context, artificial intelligence emerges as a turning point between organizations leading the transformation and those beginning to fall behind. Although many companies have allocated significant resources to AI projects, only a minority have achieved tangible financial results.

In fact, nearly 56% of CEOs acknowledge that AI initiatives have not generated clear benefits either in cost reduction or revenue increase, while only 12% claim to have achieved both outcomes simultaneously.

Technological risks and operational pressure

Along the same lines, PwC’s analysis reveals an increasingly marked gap between companies deploying AI at scale and those still limited to exploratory phases or pilot projects.

From an operational perspective, CEOs who have integrated AI across the board—incorporating it into products, services, and internal processes—tend to report more consistent improvements in efficiency and financial performance, compared to those with isolated and limited implementations.

These challenges are compounded by other risk areas identified by executives. Among them, trade tariffs are cited by 20% as a vulnerability factor, and the threat of cyberattacks is considered a significant concern by 33% of respondents.

Additionally, the rapid pace of technological transformation was mentioned by 42% of CEOs, highlighting that adapting to the speed of digital change remains an uneven challenge across organizations.

Business confidence in the face of AI challenges

The loss of confidence in revenue growth is not an isolated phenomenon but a clear signal of the complex environment many companies face in 2026. From this perspective, PwC’s survey suggests that merely experimenting with new technologies is no longer enough, and AI adoption must translate into measurable impacts on the business.

Under this logic, companies that manage to integrate these tools within a clear strategy—aligned with economic conditions and market changes—will have a tangible advantage over their competitors.

Overall, the results indicate that AI has ceased to be just a future bet and is becoming a factor that increasingly influences companies’ ability to compete and grow in an ever more demanding global scenario.