Getting AI Ready: What Corporate Leaders Need To Know In 2026

Executive Summary

AI investment is entering a new phase. As budgets stabilize and scrutiny increases, leaders are under growing pressure to show measurable business value from AI initiatives. Based on a global survey of 352 corporate AI decision-makers, this playbook reveals how organizations are prioritizing AI investments, managing emerging risks and preparing for large-scale adoption in 2026.

 

About the Author

Aleksander Milligan

Aleksander Milligan

Analyst

Aleks is an Analyst at Verdantix, specializing in enterprise AI adoption. He advises technology vendors and corporate buyers on GenAI integration and LLM market trends, the AI...

View Profile

Other related content

Webinar
AI Platforms & Applications
Digital Transformation Leaders
Industrial Analytics & Data Management
Predictions 2027: Artificial Intelligen...

AI adoption is moving from experimentation to execution, but investment alone will not guarantee business value. As organisations scale proven use cases, they must demonstrate retu...

Upcoming / 28 January, 2027

Webinar
Manufacturing Operations Management
Industrial Transformation Leaders
Industrial Design Engineering Software
Industrial Analytics & Data Management
Field Services Management
Digital Transformation Leaders
Asset Performance Management Software
Asset Maintenance Software
AI Platforms & Applications
Predictions 2027: Industrial Transforma...

Operating models built around predictable supply and long planning cycles are struggling under sustained disruption. Industrial firms face mounting pressure from energy volatility,...

Upcoming / 26 January, 2027

Webinar
Industrial Transformation Leaders
Industrial Analytics & Data Management
Digital Transformation Leaders
Asset Performance Management Software
Asset Maintenance Software
AI Platforms & Applications
How Industrial Software Product Leaders...

Generative and agentic AI are changing the economics of industrial software, introducing variable, compute-heavy costs that sit uneasily with fixed SaaS subscriptions. Industrial b...

Upcoming / 25 November, 2026

Blog
Digital Transformation Leaders
10 AI Market Implications Following Jen...

On November 12, 2026, NVIDIA announced that co-founder Jensen Huang had resigned as CEO and board member, effective immediately. The move follows reports of an affair with a busi...

12 November, 2026

Blog
Digital Transformation Leaders
The US Midterms Exposed AI Market Volat...

On November 5, 2026, US stocks suffered their worst day since April 2025. The Nasdaq 100 fell 6.36%, erasing $2.3 trillion in market value. The sell-off spread globally the f...

11 November, 2026

Blog
Digital Transformation Leaders
Microsoft's UK Data Centre Exit Reflect...

On October 18, the Telegraph reported that Microsoft had withdrawn from its agreement to anchor Nscale's planned AI data centre in Loughton, Essex, after grid officials indicated...

27 October, 2026