- Two-thirds of CEOs plan to increase AI spending in 2026, report finds
- Most leaders agree that entry-level and senior leadership positions could be strengthened.
- Jobs are evolving, with a new emphasis on human-AI collaboration emerging
Although largely linked to layoffs across industries, executives actually believe AI tools have a positive effect on employment, with two out of three public company CEOs surveyed in a recent Teneo report expecting AI to increase entry-level hiring in 2026.
AI was initially met with great skepticism, but as the world moves from experimentation to implementation, companies are determining exactly where artificial intelligence can play a role in the workplace, and that’s not bad news after all.
It’s not just entry-level positions that could benefit from a boost: more than half (58%) of CEOs also expect growth in leadership roles.
After all, AI could lead to net job creation
Overall, CEOs agree that AI is reconfiguring jobs by automating some tasks and creating new ones, rather than eliminating human roles altogether. New job titles, such as decision designer and AI experience manager, are also emerging, highlighting a new era of human-AI collaboration.
“It’s not that AI is destroying the workforce today, but rather reshaping it,” explained Ryan Cox, global head of AI at Teneo.
The Teneo report (via Business Insider), which reveals that two-thirds (68%) of CEOs plan to increase their spending on AI in 2026 (a slight increase of two percentage points from last year).
Consistency in AI spending projections, rather than a sharp increase, comes against a backdrop of ongoing apprehension about its success. So far, less than half of AI projects have generated returns above their costs, and only half (53%) of investors expect their AI investments to pay off within six months.
Additionally, most (16%) CEOs do not believe a rapid return on investment is realistic, with areas such as security, legal and human resources lagging behind areas such as marketing and customer service.
Businesses may also look to spend more on AI, as as many as a third (31%) expect the global economy to improve in 2026, up from 51% last year, suggesting CEOs are looking to regain control of their success.
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