Half of Campus Tech Leaders Question AI's ROI

"Although many colleges and universities are spending big on artificial intelligence tools, half of chief technology officers say the return on investment is either unclear or fell below their expectations. Just 29 percent say investments in AI have met or exceeded their ROI expectations."

""ROI is going to be a concern when [institutions] are rushing to solutions without first defining the problem they're trying to solve," strategist Brian Fleming, a former university administrator, told Inside Higher Ed. "It creates a lot of fatigue and a much higher risk profile for institutions as they move into this brave new world of technology.""

"According to the survey, 49 percent of CTOs say investing in generative AI is a high or essential priority, up from 34 percent in 2025; for agentic AI, the share is 35 percent, up from 28 percent; for predictive AI, it's 32 percent, up from 24 percent."

"Most institutions represented now provide students with institutional access to generative AI tools in some way. Some 61 percent provide access through an institutionwide license, more than double last year's rate of 27 percent."

Half of campus chief technology officers report unclear or disappointing return on investment from artificial intelligence spending. Just 29% say AI investments meet or exceed ROI expectations. ROI concerns rise when institutions adopt solutions without defining the problems they aim to solve, increasing fatigue and risk. Generative AI has been mainstream for more than three years, and vendors have marketed education-focused AI products as essential for preparing students for job markets with fewer entry-level roles. Evidence on learning outcomes remains mixed, with some studies warning that overreliance can weaken critical thinking. Survey results show rising priorities for generative, agentic, and predictive AI, along with increased student access via institutional licenses.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs