Global technology executives are focusing on AI, workforce development, and adaptive strategies as they navigate what KPMG calls the “Intelligence Age.”

The organisation’s 2026 Global Tech Report, Leading in the Intelligence Age: Excelling today, shaping tomorrow, shows that organisations are moving beyond pilot programmes, seeking to integrate AI into core systems and offerings to deliver measurable business value.

The report highlights both the ambition and challenges of this transformation. Sixy-eight percent of organisations aim to reach the highest level of AI maturity by the end of 2026, yet only 24% have achieved it so far. 88% are investing in agentic AI and 74% report that AI is delivering business value.

However, just 24% are scaling AI successfully across multiple use cases, illustrating the gap between expectation and ROI.

Talent remains central to success, according to the report. Organisations anticipate that 42% of their technology workforce will remain permanent human staff by 2027, only a small reduction from 2025, with high-performing companies retaining 50%.

Despite this, 53% of respondents report lacking the talent required to fully implement digital transformation strategies. Nearly all, 92%, expect managing AI agents to become a critical skill within the next five years.

KPMG states that partnerships and ecosystems are also crucial, with 90% of organisations planning to expand their tech ecosystems over the next year, while roughly a third will increase investment in centres of excellence to support cross-functional teams and experimentation.

Leaders are preparing for emerging technologies, including quantum computing and artificial superintelligence, with 78% agreeing that taking more risks on these innovations is vital to remain competitive. KPMG stresses that balancing ambition with disciplined execution and strategic foresight is key to turning disruption into durable value.

Guy Holland, Global Leader of the CIO Center of Excellence at KPMG International, said: “The future belongs to leaders who turn intelligence into advantage. Our research shows organisations are pushing past the early phase of ‘AI roulette’, placing scattered bets on multiple technologies, and are now increasingly focused on delivering value.

“When ambition meets disciplined execution, value compounds. Our 2026 Global Tech Report provides a synopsis of the critical things that high performers are doing better than most; a checklist for tech leaders looking to improve their organisational performance, emulate the high performers, and deliver higher ROI.”

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High-performing organisations already report an average ROI of 4.5 times, more than double the industry average of two times. Smaller firms, organisations with fewer cost pressures, and transformation-focused businesses also reported higher returns, demonstrating that ROI depends on maturity, investment strategy, and scaling approach.

The report surveyed 2,500 executives from 27 countries, spanning eight industries including automotive, consumer and retail, energy, financial services, government, healthcare and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, and technology and telecommunications.

Beyond this, in-depth interviews with eight senior corporate leaders provided additional insights on how organisations can excel today while preparing for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.