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AI is Already Delivering ROI — But the Real Value Often Isn’t in “Saving Time”

You hear it more and more often: “AI is interesting, but does it actually deliver value?”

That question will only become more important in 2026. Not because organisations are experimenting less, but because the hype phase is giving way to something more mature: using AI with clear intent and direction.

A recent AI ROI benchmarking study from November, conducted by The AI Daily Brief, with 1,200+ respondents and 5,000+ use cases, sends a clear signal: AI is still at an early stage, but its value is already visible — and growing quickly.

At Lumans], this is exactly where we come in. We make AI accessible and meet organisations at their current level. From initial exploration to reliable AI implementation.

The key figures (with important nuance)

What respondents currently report about ROI (the return on their AI investments):

82% report a positive ROI (above break-even)
Of these, 37% experience a high ROI (more than 15%)
Only 5.6% report a negative ROI

Negative ROI is usually the result of high initial setup costs and the fact that initiatives are still “young” and have not yet had enough time to pay for themselves.

In addition, 96% of organisations expect a positive ROI within the next 12 months.

Important note: This data is self-reported and comes from a highly engaged audience. In other words, these organisations and professionals are often more advanced than average. See this as a strong indicator of where ROI is heading — not as a guarantee for every organisation.

8 ways AI creates value (and how to measure it)

The study divides impact into eight categories. This is valuable because it forces organisations to look beyond simply “saving hours”:

Time savings (on average ~8 hours per week)
Cost reduction (nearly halved in specific use cases)
Increased output (often >50% productivity increase per use case)
Quality improvement
Revenue growth
New capabilities (new services, analysis, personalisation, creation)
Risk reduction (early warnings, error detection, compliance)
Improved decision-making

One thing stands out: time savings are the most common benefit, but on average not the most valuable.

The highest ROI more often comes from strategic applications, such as improved decision-making, new capabilities, and revenue growth.

Why smaller organisations often see ROI faster

A clear pattern emerges: the smaller the organisation, the higher the reported ROI (most commonly among organisations with 1–50 employees).

This makes sense:

Small teams are more agile (faster experimentation, quicker adaptation)
AI directly addresses a key pain point: limited capacity
AI enables work that was previously too expensive or too time-consuming

For larger organisations, value is often found less in individual tools and more in product and process integration, governance, adoption, and scalability.

The portfolio effect: AI performs better when applied broadly

One of the most practical insights from the study:

Organisations that apply AI across multiple impact categories (for example, time + quality + new capabilities) report a higher average ROI than organisations that focus on a single objective.

This is exactly how we approach AI at Lumans:

not one “smart prompt”, but a roadmap where quick wins and strategic initiatives reinforce each other.

From assistant to agent: where do we really stand?

The study distinguishes between three forms of AI usage:

Assisted AI (56.6% of respondents): humans initiate every interaction (ChatGPT-style usage)
Automation (±30%): workflows, pipelines, and scripts
Agentic AI (13.8%): autonomous task execution

What is particularly interesting is that agentic AI (autonomous AI tools) appears more frequently in risk reduction, new capabilities, and cost reduction, and much less in pure “time-saving” use cases.

This suggests that AI agents primarily create value in structured, repeatable processes with clear boundaries.

What does this mean for your organisation? A practical, grounded approach

If you want to achieve ROI with AI without getting lost in endless possibilities, this approach tends to work best:

Start with a measurable baseline
Select 1–3 processes where time, quality, or risk is currently a bottleneck.
Use quick wins to enable strategic steps
Time savings are a good starting point, but quickly translate them into better product quality, stronger decision-making, or new capabilities.
Work with a “portfolio” mindset
Do not focus on a single use case, but on a set of 5–10 smaller applications that together contribute to a more resilient organisation.
Ensure safety and responsibility
Stay mindful of the ethical and legal frameworks that apply to your data, processes, and regulatory environment.

How Lumans helps: meeting you at your level

Whether you are just getting started or have already taken several steps, we guide professionals and organisations at their own level through the world of AI. With a strong focus on transparency, quality, communication, and efficiency.

From workshops and AI consulting to implementation and custom software.

Curious where the biggest ROI opportunities lie for your organisation?
👉 Get in touch with us