AI use nearly doubles in Professional Services, but revenue gains lag, SPI research finds

A study of 245 organizations links broader AI use to stronger on-time delivery and finds a gap between time savings and revenue generation.

KNOXVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, October 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Artificial intelligence is now used on 43.6% of professional services projects, up from 23.1% in 2025, according to SPI Research’s 2026 Impact of AI on Professional Services report. Yet while 84.8% of surveyed organizations report realizing value through time savings, only 29.9% report value through revenue generation—highlighting the challenge of turning productivity improvements into financial returns.

Based on input from 245 organizations, the study identifies three patterns: a “Delivery Dividend” associated with broader AI use, a “Readiness Premium” associated with deeper adoption and stronger operational foundations, and a gap between hours saved and revenue captured. Firms using AI on more than 80% of projects report 90.7% on-time delivery, compared with 76.3% among firms using it on fewer than 20%.

Key findings include:
• Productivity benefits are widespread. 86.6% of firms report that AI has increased productivity and efficiency, compared with 71.5% in 2025.
• Deeper adoption is associated with higher profit. Firms running complex agents or AI-first operating models report professional services EBITDA margins of 20.5%, versus 13.3% for firms at the chat-assisted stage or with no formal AI use.
• Measurement trails adoption. 36.8% of firms do not formally track any AI outcomes, and only 19.1% track AI’s impact on billable utilization.
• Client expectations are rising. 59.9% of firms agree that clients expect AI-enabled service delivery, up from 45.0% in 2025.
• Governance gaps remain. 71.9% require human review before client delivery, but only 35.0% require source attribution or validation.

The report introduces the SPI AI Maturity Model™, a five-level framework assessing adoption, data readiness, project use, workforce proficiency, leadership support, outcome measurement and governance. It identifies four foundations for scaling AI: ready data, an outcome scorecard, trained people and agents operating within defined guardrails. The research also examines the risk that hourly-billing firms may pass time savings to clients without capturing additional revenue.

About the Study

The survey was conducted July 15–September 16, 2026, with 245 participating organizations, including 175 independent professional services organizations and 70 embedded services organizations. Participants were headquartered in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. Findings are self-reported and reflect a nonrandom sample; year-over-year comparisons involve different participant groups. Associations between AI adoption and business performance do not establish causation.

R David Hofferberth
Service Performance Insight
+1 239-207-7773

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