Despite the CEOs’ repsonses, PwC concludes more investment is required. It claims that “isolated, tactical AI projects” often don’t deliver measurable value, and that tangible returns instead come from enterprise-wide deployments consistent with business strategy.

However, pilot projects are by their very nature typically small scale and isolated in order to demonstrate the viability of a concept before risking an enterprise-wide rollout. Is PwC advising clients not to worry if an AI pilot project fails, and push ahead with a large-scale deployment anyway?

The report then goes on to explain that scaling up demands “strong AI foundations,” including a technology environment that enables AI integration; a clearly defined roadmap for AI initiatives; formalized risk processes; and “an organizational culture that enables AI adoption.” So if your AI projects fail, you clearly just don’t believe enough.