More CEOs envision hiring than firing due to AI, survey finds

"I would say the majority of companies right now are not actually realizing nor can they see the return on investment of the AI they're deploying. It takes time to revise process and make fundamental changes in how companies have done things for many, many years to be able to benefit from the technologies that exist today."

"U.S. CEOs are optimistic about the potential of AI to improve their businesses over the next five to 10 years, but in the short run they've been underwhelmed by the impact. The actual integration of AI into existing processes and systems is proving to be sluggish."

"About 9 in 10 CEOs are concerned about malware and phishing attacks powered by AI. Nearly 6 in 10 are worried about quantum computing attacks on encrypted data."

U.S. CEOs express optimism about AI's long-term potential but report underwhelming short-term results. Most companies struggle to realize return on investment from deployed AI due to sluggish integration into existing processes and systems. Revising established procedures and making fundamental operational changes requires substantial time. Despite these challenges, 55% of CEOs expect to increase hiring in 2026 as a direct result of AI investments, while only 9% plan workforce reductions. However, security concerns persist, with approximately 90% of CEOs worried about AI-powered malware and phishing attacks, and nearly 60% concerned about quantum computing threats to encrypted data.

Read at Axios