Companies Are Asking: Did Our AI Investments Actually Work?

Many businesses rushed to adopt AI tools in 2024–2025 without checking whether they actually improved profits or products. Now budget reviews are forcing vendors to prove their value. Uber spent its entire 2026 AI budget in four months, then stopped letting employees buy new AI tools after realizing the costs weren't creating visible benefits. Meta shut down its internal AI ranking in April. The shift is clear: companies want results, not just AI.