Enterprise AI strategies are shifting from efficiency to a race for growth set to define success in 2026, according to new research from Thoughworks.

Polling 3,500 IT decision makers and C-suite execs around the world, the tech consultancy’s latest report, Beyond the Bottom Line, found that almost all large enterprises (92%) have moved beyond AI cost savings and are now chasing innovation.

The study shows that business leaders now recognise the value of AI as a driver of top-line performance, rather than a back-office tool, with more than a quarter (27%) of executives globally expecting up to 10% revenue growth from AI in the next year, and nearly half forecasting a 15% uplift within a decade.

Meantime, many businesses that have changed tack are already reporting other, tangible gains, including growth in customer lifetime value (17%), and new customer acquisition (15%).

In the UK, three‑quarters of business leaders are pivoting toward such AI‑driven growth, but British optimism is tempered by realism, with Thoughworks finding UK firms’ revenue expectations are notably more cautious than those of global peers.

The research also shows a significant change inside boardrooms worldwide, with more than half of companies having onboarded a Chief AI Officer, 72% of which report the role holding budget authority and accountability for return on investment.

“The CAIO role is no longer experimental, it sits at the centre of strategy,” said Shayan Mohanty, Chief AI Officer at Thoughtworks. 

“The companies that are separating from the pack are the ones that make AI part of their foundation rather than a side project.”

CAIOs are leading the next phase of the AI journey, which for most firms means moving further into agentic AI, a shift which the study identifies as a clear dividing line in how quickly different regions are advancing.

Globally, 35% of leaders say agentic AI is now a top priority, with India leading at 48.6% followed by Singapore at 40.8% and the United Kingdom at 40%, while countries like Brazil (28.2%), the US (28%) and Australia (23.4%) lag far behind.

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However, the study warns that these ambitions are at risk of collapse, with more than a quarter of firms (28%) saying that they still lack of clear AI strategy to realise the technology’s growth potential, even as 45% recognised this as being critical to success.

“The organisations moving fastest are integrating AI into the core of how they operate,” said Rachel Laycock, chief technology officer at Thoughtworks.

“Leaders are no longer asking how efficient they can become. They are asking how expansive they can be. This marks a structural shift in how organisations plan for growth.”