Report

PwC Global CEO Survey: Just 30% of CEOs upbeat on revenue growth even as AI adoption rises

Rob Duncan

Rob Duncan

— 2 min read
PwC Global CEO Survey: Just 30% of CEOs upbeat on revenue growth even as AI adoption rises

New data from PwC’s Global CEO Survey shows CEOs are pushing ahead with AI and expansion into new sectors even as confidence in near-term growth slips.

Why it matters:
CEOs face a widening gap between near-term uncertainty and long-term opportunity. Those moving fastest to reinvent are outperforming peers.

The big picture:

  • CEOs are less confident about short-term revenue growth than in recent years.
  • At the same time, they’re investing in AI, innovation, and expansion into new sectors.
  • Companies that act aggressively are seeing stronger growth and margins.

By the numbers:

  • 30% of CEOs report increased revenue from AI in the past year.
  • 42% say their company has begun competing in new sectors over the last five years.
  • Only 12% are seeing both higher revenue and lower costs from AI.
  • Just 30% are very confident in revenue growth over the next 12 months (down from 38% last year).

AI reality check:

  • Most CEOs say AI hasn’t yet delivered financial returns.
  • Over half report no revenue or cost benefits so far.
  • Leaders seeing results are deploying AI at enterprise scale, not through isolated pilots.

Industry boundaries blur:

  • More than 40% of CEOs say their companies are entering new sectors.
  • Technology is the top target sector for expansion across industries.
  • Companies generating more revenue from new sectors are more profitable and confident.

Global investment shifts:

  • 51% of CEOs plan international investments in the year ahead.
  • The U.S. remains the top destination, followed by the U.K., Germany, and China.
  • India and Middle Eastern markets are rising fast.

Threats on the rise:

  • Top risks: macroeconomic volatility, cyber threats, geopolitics, and tariffs.
  • 31% say they’re highly exposed to cyber risk, up sharply from last year.
  • 29% expect tariffs to compress profit margins.

Trust and value:

  • 66% of CEOs report stakeholder trust concerns in the past year.
  • Companies with fewer trust issues delivered significantly higher shareholder returns.

CEO time crunch:

  • Leaders spend nearly half their time on issues with less than a one-year horizon.
  • Only 16% of time goes to long-term priorities—raising questions about readiness for reinvention.

The bottom line:
In a volatile environment, caution carries its own risk. CEOs who invest, innovate, and expand across sectors—even amid uncertainty—are pulling ahead.\

Link: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey.html

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