HONG KONG, 15 April 2026 – A select group of companies is leading the global race to derive financial returns from artificial intelligence, according to PwC’s latest AI Performance study. The report reveals that nearly 74% of AI’s economic benefits are concentrated among just 20% of organizations.
The study, which surveyed 1,217 senior executives across 25 sectors, shows that top-performing companies are two to three times more likely than peers to leverage AI for growth opportunities and to reshape business models. These leaders also prioritize redesigning workflows and integrating AI deeply, rather than simply bolting on new tools.
PwC highlighted that industry convergence and the pursuit of new revenue streams are the most critical drivers of AI-driven financial performance. Automation is also accelerating, with AI leaders making nearly three times as many decisions without human intervention compared with lagging companies.
Trust and governance frameworks are key differentiators. Leading companies are almost twice as likely to deploy Responsible AI mechanisms and cross-functional governance boards, resulting in employee confidence levels in AI outputs that are twice as high as those at other firms.
PwC’s analysis warns that without a shift in approach, the performance gap will continue to widen as AI leaders scale proven use cases, automate decisions, and capture emerging market opportunities faster than competitors.
