Few Companies Quantify AI Gains Despite Heavy Spending

Industry

โดย Yahoo Finance·

Summary · why it matters

Despite widespread discussion of artificial intelligence, few companies are quantifying its financial benefits, according to a Barclays strategist note. Venu Krishna wrote that while nearly half of all companies mentioned AI on recent earnings calls, only 12% were willing to quantify AI-related value capture, with tech, financials, and healthcare firms making up 68% of that group. The average reported gain in operational efficiencies was 56%, but these assessments have not changed meaningfully over three years, raising questions about their precision. Notable exceptions include Meta, whose AI tools boosted Facebook ad clicks by 8.3% and conversions by 15.7%; Chewy, targeting $50 million in cost savings by fiscal 2027; and Hilton, aiming for 75-100 basis points of margin expansion for hotel owners. Meanwhile, PwC's new Global Data Centre Outlook projects global AI infrastructure investment will hit a record $31.6 trillion through 2050, with annual data center capital expenditure rising from about $800 billion in 2026 to $1.8 trillion by 2050.