Corporate investment in artificial intelligence is experiencing unprecedented growth, with companies worldwide planning to double their AI spending by 2026, accounting for approximately 1.7% of their revenues–more than twice the increase projected for 2025.
CEOs are taking a central role in this transformation, dedicating over eight hours weekly to their own AI upskilling while directing their organizations’ capabilities and budgets toward AI initiatives. This shift underscores AI’s rising prominence as a strategic priority, transcending traditional tech or innovation departments to become a top-down enterprise focus.
According to the third annual report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), titled BCG AI Radar: As AI Investments Surge, CEOs Take the Lead, the momentum reflects a broader recognition of AI’s potential to reshape business operations and competitive landscapes. The survey, which included 2,360 executives across 16 markets–including Morocco and South Africa–and nine industries, reveals that nearly three-quarters of CEOs now see themselves as the primary decision-makers for AI, with half asserting that their jobs depend on the technology’s success.
The report highlights that Africa, particularly, has emerged as a regional leader in AI investment. With 59% of African companies planning to spend over $50 million on AI in 2026, the continent is shifting from exploratory efforts to large-scale execution. African organizations are leveraging AI to overcome infrastructure challenges and drive regional economic growth, with a significant focus on workforce transformation. Currently, 55% of Africa’s workforce has been upskilled in AI–the highest rate globally–and nearly half of AI budgets are allocated to ongoing training and capability development.
African CEOs are notably proactive, with an average of 8.3 hours spent weekly on personal AI education–more than any other region. This top-down engagement is critical, as 82% of African CEOs consider themselves the primary decision-makers for AI strategies, a figure well above the global average of 72%. There is a strong sense of urgency, with 71% of African leaders believing their job security hinges on successfully executing AI initiatives by 2026.
Globally, the report identifies three archetypes among CEOs regarding AI adoption. About 15% are “Trailblazers,” fully committed to AI-driven transformation through decisive investments and rapid upskilling. Another 15% are “Followers,” cautious and recognizing AI’s potential but hesitant to fully commit. The remaining 70% are “Pragmatists,” confident in AI but investing selectively based on clear value and low risk.
Africa boasts the highest percentage of Trailblazer CEOs at 42%, contrasted with just 14% in the European Union. These leaders are more assertive, directing over half of their AI budgets toward agentic AI and deploying autonomous agents end-to-end across workstreams at more than twice the rate of Followers. Their confidence is reflected in workforce strategies, with 60% of their AI budgets dedicated to upskilling, compared to 27% and 24% among Pragmatists and Followers, respectively.
Confidence in AI’s ROI varies by region, with Asian CEOs notably more optimistic–around three-quarters in India and Greater China believe AI will pay off in the near term–compared to 44% in the UK and 52% in the US. African CEOs also show high optimism, with 84% expressing belief in AI’s positive ROI this year, above the global average of 82%.
Across industries, all sectors plan to increase AI investments in 2026. Financial institutions are projected to allocate 2.0% of revenues to AI, closely trailing tech firms at 2.1%. Other sectors, such as industrial and real estate, plan to spend around 0.8%. The report underscores several key actions for CEOs to effectively harness AI’s potential: prioritize AI as a core strategic focus, deepen organizational AI literacy, make decisive investments across functions, upskill employees, and measure AI’s impact to ensure sustainable returns.
With four out of five CEOs more optimistic about AI’s ROI than a year ago, the rapid development of AI agents is a key driver. Nearly 90% of executives believe autonomous agents will deliver measurable ROI by 2026, prompting organizations to allocate more than 30% of their AI budgets to agentic AI. As Sylvain Duranton, co-author and leader of BCG X, notes, “The true competitive advantage lies with CEOs who will reshape functions end-to-end and develop new products and services that drive growth. By 2028, success will be heavily defined by how well companies execute AI strategies.”
This evolving landscape positions AI as a fundamental driver of future enterprise success, with regional leaders like Africa setting a pace that could redefine the global AI economy.
Download the paper here
