CIO.com finds fewer than one-in-five enterprise AI initiatives meeting business goals after three years

According to CIO.com's 2026 State of the CIO report, fewer than one in five IT leaders say their AI initiatives have met or exceeded business goals after three years of investment. The report notes that board funding for AI experimentation is contracting as executives demand measurable returns, while autonomous agents entering production this year will act directly on business operations rather than provide advisory capabilities.