Only 4% of Service Teams Hit Expected AI ROI
Gartner projects that organizations building connected AI portfolios will reach twice the business value of standalone projects by 2028.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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A Gartner survey of 275 service and support leaders found only 4% of customer service organizations have achieved their expected return on investment from AI initiatives. The survey was conducted in July and August 2026, and the findings are based on survey responses rather than a deployed or independently verified product result.
Why it matters
The gap points to a shift in how service organizations are approaching AI, from isolated tools toward connected portfolios tied to business objectives. Gartner's projection that portfolio builders will earn twice the business value of standalone use cases by 2028 suggests the strategy, not only the technology, is becoming the differentiator.
The data comes from a Gartner survey of 275 service and support leaders conducted in July and August 2026, which reports 4% of customer service organizations meeting expected AI ROI. AI-forward organizations are described as investing roughly 1.8 times more in data and knowledge management foundations than in AI use cases themselves, but the survey does not specify the measured productivity or cost metrics behind the ROI judgment.
The players
Gartner
A research and advisory firm whose analysts track enterprise technology adoption, including AI investment and customer service software markets.
The details
AI-forward service organizations use AI to analyze customer conversations and feedback at scale, which helps them identify recurring customer needs and sources of friction. Rather than deploying AI as separate point solutions, these organizations are building connected portfolios aligned to strategic business objectives. Much of the effort goes into the data and knowledge layer that AI systems draw on, which is why spending on those foundations outpaces spending on the AI use cases built on top of them.
Timeline
The Gartner survey of 275 service leaders was conducted from July through August 2026.
Gartner projects that by 2028, organizations building AI portfolios will achieve twice the business value of standalone AI use cases.
The Tech Race
Gartner's service-leader research has become a benchmark for how enterprises measure AI returns in customer operations. The finding that only 4% of organizations have met expected ROI places the field early in a transition from experimentation toward portfolio-level planning.
Customer service teams that rely on AI tools may see pressure to tie those investments to measurable business outcomes rather than standalone pilots. The survey does not give pricing or timelines for specific products, so the practical changes for individual customers remain unclear.
The takeaway
Organizations that want AI returns should weigh investment in data and knowledge foundations as heavily as the AI use cases themselves. Watch whether Gartner's 2028 projection of doubled business value for portfolio builders is tracked against future service-leader surveys.
Further reading
For broader context on how organizations are deploying these systems, see the Artificial Intelligence section.
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Do you think AI customer service has made getting help better for you?
