The Digital Revolution with Jim Kunkle

ROI Or Bust: What KPMG's 2026 Tech Survey Reveals


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The mood in tech has shifted from hype to hard results. We unpack KPMG’s 2026 US Technology Survey and make sense of a jarring reality: investment in automation and AI is soaring, yet fewer organizations are scaling successfully and even fewer are proving measurable ROI. We connect the dots between stalled execution, mounting technical debt, and the rise of agentic AI, digital teammates that demand new governance, new skills, and a new playbook for value creation.

We start with the mandate that defines the next two years: ROI or bust. You’ll hear why data modernization is the gating factor for AI, how legacy architectures quietly tax every initiative, and where the maturity gap widens between teams that can prototype and teams that can operationalize. We break down the numbers, like the sharp drop in fully scaled implementations, and explain the paradox of American innovation: leaders in vision, laggards in execution. Along the way, we highlight agentic AI adoption and the leadership capabilities required to manage autonomous systems responsibly.

Most importantly, we outline what high performers do differently. They build AI‑ready data foundations, invest in governance early, align product, finance, and risk on value outcomes, and treat AI as a revenue engine rather than a sidecar efficiency tool. Adaptive strategy replaces fixed roadmaps, and AI literacy becomes a requirement for every leader. If you’re navigating 2026 with pressure to prove returns, this conversation offers a clear path: modernize where it matters, scale what’s working, and measure value in terms the business respects.

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The Digital Revolution with Jim KunkleBy Jim Kunkle