Organizations taking a tech-focused approach to AI are 1.6x more likely to not realize returns on AI investments that exceed expectations compared to those that take a human-centric approach.
Source
2026 Global Human Capital TrendsOriginal Quote
those taking a tech-focused approach are 1.6x more likely to not realize returns on AI investments that exceed expectations compared to those that take a human-centric approach.
Outlook
PessimisticOrganizations taking a tech-focused AI approach are more likely to fail to meet ROI expectations, representing a negative economic outcome for those firms.
This is presented as a current finding from the 2026 survey, implying the effect is already observable and ongoing.
Presented as a quantified finding from primary research, implying high confidence in the result.
Potential Data Sources for Validation
Survey data tracking AI ROI outcomes segmented by whether organizations report a tech-focused vs. human-centric approach, compared year-over-year in industry or consulting surveys.
About the Author
Shannon Poynton is a Senior Manager (recently admitted to the Deloitte partnership) in Deloitte Consulting LLP's Human Capital practice, where she advises global clients on organization, workforce, culture, and strategic change solutions, and is a co-author of Deloitte's Global Human Capital Trends report.
Across 10 tracked claims, Shannon Poynton, Jason Flynn, Nicole Scoble-Williams, Victor Reyes, David Mallon, Sue Cantrell skews neutral.