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Chief executive confidence in near-term revenue growth has fallen to its lowest level in five years, highlighting deep unease in the global corporate sector as businesses grapple with geopolitical volatility, cyber risks, and the rapid advance of new technologies.
A PwC survey of more than 4,000 CEOs across 95 countries, released on Monday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, found that only three in 10 leaders feel confident about their companies’ revenue prospects over the next 12 months.
The survey points to a growing sense of fragility in the global business environment. One in five CEOs said their firms were highly exposed to potential losses from trade tariffs, reflecting anxiety over rising economic nationalism and shifting trade rules. Meanwhile, one-third identified cyber threats as a major risk to their operations.
Even more striking was concern about the speed of technological disruption: 42% of respondents said they were worried about whether their companies could keep up with the pace of change—particularly in artificial intelligence.
“The biggest question on CEOs’ minds is whether they are transforming fast enough to keep pace with technological change, including AI,” the report said.
The findings reveal a sharp split between AI leaders and laggards. While 56% of CEOs said they had seen no financial benefit from AI so far, 33% reported gains either in cost savings or revenue growth, and the rest said AI had delivered both.
PwC said companies deploying AI broadly—across products, services, and customer engagement were seeing the strongest returns, while those still in experimental stages were struggling to capture value.
PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande told reporters in Davos that AI adoption is no longer optional for global businesses.
“AI is working, and it is here to stay. AI is now a must for companies around the world to adopt—the question is how,” he said.
The survey underscores a moment of simultaneous risk and opportunity for corporate leaders: economic uncertainty is rising, but so is the potential upside from technological transformation.
A PwC survey of more than 4,000 CEOs across 95 countries, released on Monday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, found that only three in 10 leaders feel confident about their companies’ revenue prospects over the next 12 months.
The survey points to a growing sense of fragility in the global business environment. One in five CEOs said their firms were highly exposed to potential losses from trade tariffs, reflecting anxiety over rising economic nationalism and shifting trade rules. Meanwhile, one-third identified cyber threats as a major risk to their operations.
Even more striking was concern about the speed of technological disruption: 42% of respondents said they were worried about whether their companies could keep up with the pace of change—particularly in artificial intelligence.
“The biggest question on CEOs’ minds is whether they are transforming fast enough to keep pace with technological change, including AI,” the report said.
The findings reveal a sharp split between AI leaders and laggards. While 56% of CEOs said they had seen no financial benefit from AI so far, 33% reported gains either in cost savings or revenue growth, and the rest said AI had delivered both.
PwC said companies deploying AI broadly—across products, services, and customer engagement were seeing the strongest returns, while those still in experimental stages were struggling to capture value.
PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande told reporters in Davos that AI adoption is no longer optional for global businesses.
“AI is working, and it is here to stay. AI is now a must for companies around the world to adopt—the question is how,” he said.
The survey underscores a moment of simultaneous risk and opportunity for corporate leaders: economic uncertainty is rising, but so is the potential upside from technological transformation.
