Council Post: The Productivity Mirage: Why AI Gains Aren't Reaching The P&L

Three years into the generative AI era, boardrooms are moving from asking “What is our AI strategy?” to “What has it earned us?” Janaki Jayachandran, Global Head of Software & Technology at Aspire System, cites research showing productivity gains aren’t translating to profit and loss statements. McKinsey’s 2026 “State of AI” survey of 1,719 executives found only 37% attribute measurable EBIT to AI, and just 6% are high performers attributing at least 5% of EBIT. While 80% say AI boosts productivity, other studies echo the mismatch: BCG’s 2025 report shows only 5% scale value, and MIT’s Project NANDA preliminarily found 95% of enterprise pilots produced no measurable return. Jayachandran attributes gaps mainly to management, measurement, and operating design.