Getting ROI from AI, or Pouring Money into Hype Machine

Are companies actually getting ROI from AI, or just pouring money into the hype machine?

In this episode of Three Takes on AI, Campbell leads the crew through one of the toughest conversations facing every business leader right now: when should you invest more — and when should you demand results?

You’ll hear three sharply different perspectives:

• Campbell’s strategic & governance lens — how to pressure-test AI bets and avoid “innovation theater.”

• Brian’s engineering pragmatism — what actually delivers ROI inside real workflows (and what never will).

• Michael’s investment mindset — how to separate value-creating AI from budget-draining experiments.

  
  

Together, the trio breaks down:

• The hard truths from recent AI deployments

• ROI calculations that go far beyond simple cost savings

• When “soft” benefits — resilience, agility, brand lift — actually justify the spend

• How to choose AI use cases that pay off

• And the governance checkpoints that keep teams honest

  
  

Expect rapid-fire takes, real-world wins and wipeouts, and a clear-eyed look at how to make smarter AI investment decisions heading into 2026.

Background Links and Information that contributed to the Webscast / Podcast

• The [Stanford HAI's 2025 AI Index Report](https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report) provides comprehensive data on AI investment trends, highlighting that generative AI attracted $33.9 billion globally in private investment—an 18.7% increase from 2023.

• According to [SAP Research](https://www.sap.com/sea/research/ai-drives-return-on-investment), 79% of businesses expect positive AI ROI within three years, with average spending of $26.7 million on AI, anticipating returns to rise from 16% to 31% in two years.

For practical implementation, I recommend the following guides:

• The [Complete Guide to Enterprise AI Investment](https://thesoogroup.com/blog/enterprise-ai-investment-guide) by SOO Group offers a framework for strategic AI investment.

• IBM's [Guide to Maximizing ROI on AI in 2025](https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-roi) discusses strategies to improve returns on enterprise-wide AI initiatives.

For ROI measurement, consider these reports:

• The [Microsoft/IDC Report on Generative AI ROI](https://news.microsoft.com/en-xm/2025/01/14/generative-ai-delivering-substantial-roi-to-businesses-integrating-the-technology-across-operations-microsoft-sponsored-idc-report/) documents substantial ROI from generative AI in business operations.

• The [Marketing AI Institute](https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/blog/new-report-ai-roi) indicates that 75% of companies are seeing positive ROI from AI investments.