Mindbreeze, a global provider of AI-based knowledge management solutions, has announced the results of its 1H 2026 GenAI Confidence Index Report. The study suggests a shift in how global enterprises view Generative AI from early enthusiasm toward disciplined, execution-focused adoption. While senior executives continue to express confidence in GenAI’s long-term strategic value, the report shows that organizations are increasingly cautious about their ability to implement these technologies at scale and translate pilots into measurable business outcomes.
The study finds that overall confidence in GenAI’s potential remains strong at the industry level, particularly among C-suite leaders. However, confidence declines sharply when respondents assess their own organization’s readiness to deploy GenAI effectively across technical, operational, and governance dimensions. Middle management, which often owns delivery and integration, emerges as the most skeptical cohort, highlighting a growing gap between strategic intent and operational reality.
“Enterprises are no longer debating whether GenAI matters. That question has been settled,” said Daniel Fallmann, chief executive officer of Mindbreeze. “What’s changed in 2026 is that leaders are demanding proof. Confidence now hinges on execution: data readiness, governance, integration, and demonstrable ROI and ability to scale.”
Top findings
Industry-level confidence reverses in 1H’26
- The share of respondents confident in GenAI at the industry level declined from 77% in 2H’25 to 59% in 1H’26, reversing gains from previous reports.
- This shift reflects a post-pilot reassessment as early deployments exposed integration.
Mid-range ROI expectations expand
- Mid-tier ROI ratings (4–6) increased from 14% to 35% over the same period.
- This indicates a shift from optimistic certainty toward conditional and use-case-specific ROI expectations.
Vendor confidence surges among C-suite
- “Confident” responses regarding vendor selection rose to 89 percent among the C-Suite.
- Buyers are encountering internal scale issues and recognize the value coming from vendors that can turn pilot tests into beneficial implementations.
Long-term confidence remains resilient
- Despite current pullbacks, 75% of respondents still expect confidence in GenAI to increase over time.
- This suggests GenAI is viewed as inevitable, even if near-term execution is underperforming.
Operations emerges as the primary value target
- Operations-related benefits rose from 7 percent in 2H’25 to 25percent in 1H’26, the largest increase among all functions.
- Organizations are refocusing GenAI on efficiency, cost control, and internal productivity rather than experimentation.
Perceived lack of benefit declines sharply
- Respondents citing “Don’t see a benefit” fell from 12% to 4%.
- The market broadly accepts GenAI’s potential, with hesitation centered on execution and economics rather than usefulness.