SAP sees global AI ROI rising to 21% in 2026, Oxford Economics study shows

Execution risks persist: 73% report incomplete data issues, 79% cite rework from low-quality outputs, and 12% say AI governance is fully ready.

Agentic AI drives the outlook, with expected average ROI of US$17.6 million in two years versus US$4.3 million last year.

AI supports 30% of tasks today, projected to reach 48% in two years, despite piecemeal adoption remaining dominant at 41%.

SAP published research with Oxford Economics showing AI ROI expectations rose to 21% in 2026 from 16% in 2025 on US$28 million average spend.

Companies forecast AI ROI of 38% in two years, implying US$15.9 million in value versus US$6.3 million this year.