Artificial intelligence adoption among research firms has climbed to 93 per cent globally, but only a small proportion of companies have integrated the technology across multiple business operations, raising questions about how effectively the industry is translating investment into measurable growth.
The findings are contained in the ESOMAR CEO Survey 2026, which gathered responses from 224 research agency chief executives and directors. The survey found that while AI adoption has expanded rapidly, just 15 per cent of firms already using the technology operate it at scale across multiple workflows, while 10 per cent describe themselves as AI-first organisations.
According to Brandspur Brand News, the survey also revealed a gap between the operational benefits of AI and its contribution to business growth, highlighting the need for research companies to assess the financial returns and practical impact of their technology investments.
The proportion of firms using AI for research activities rose from 56 per cent in 2023 to 93 per cent in 2026. However, the share of respondents reporting that AI was contributing to revenue growth fell from 22 per cent in 2025 to 15 per cent in 2026.
By contrast, 40 per cent of respondents said AI was helping their organisations reduce costs in 2026, compared with 29 per cent the previous year.
The figures suggest that research businesses are finding it easier to use AI to improve operational efficiency than to generate additional revenue from the technology.
The survey also highlighted differences in how companies assess their progress relative to competitors. While 32 per cent of respondents believed their organisations were ahead in AI adoption, another 32 per cent considered themselves on a similar level, and 37 per cent said they were falling behind.
Despite the uneven progress, confidence in AI’s potential remained strong. Some 69 per cent of chief executives viewed the technology as an opportunity for their businesses, compared with 10 per cent who considered it a threat.
The findings were discussed in an October 9, 2026, article published by Research World, ESOMAR’s industry publication, by Pravin Shekar, a committee member of the global insights association and an executive at Krea.
Shekar argued that research organisations could accelerate their progress by sharing practical experiences across markets instead of relying solely on internal experiments. Companies in different regions, he noted, may encounter similar challenges, making lessons from successful projects and failed trials valuable to the wider industry.
To support this effort, the ESOMAR AI Alliance is developing practical guidance for businesses adopting artificial intelligence, including resources to help buyers evaluate AI solutions and guidance on applying industry standards to synthetic data.
The initiative is also working on an AI Adoption Maturity Index designed to help organisations assess their current capabilities and identify areas for improvement. Its activities include training, industry events, discussions and podcasts intended to encourage more informed decisions about AI implementation.
An industry gathering organised by ESOMAR and the Market Research Society of India is scheduled for Mumbai in April 2027, with discussions expected to focus on practical AI applications, business experiments, successes and failures.
For Nigerian research agencies and businesses exploring AI, the survey highlights the distinction between adopting new technology and using it to deliver demonstrable commercial results. The figures do not measure Nigeria’s individual adoption rate, but they underline a broader industry challenge: determining whether AI is improving business performance beyond reducing costs and speeding up existing processes.
