The definitive benchmark for AI adoption and its consequences on PSO performance makes a comeback for 2026. Spend 10 minutes taking part now.
SPI has spent nearly two decades examining the operational and financial drivers of PS performance. Our goal is to provide leaders with independent evidence they can use to make better decisions.”— R. David Hofferberth
SPI Research has now opened enrollment for the third annual Impact of AI in Professional Services Benchmark Survey. This independent study aims to investigate whether rising investment in artificial intelligence is yielding measurable gains in areas such as professional services delivery, workforce productivity, client outcomes, and financial performance.
The 2026 edition builds upon SPI Research’s 2024 and 2025 work to deliver a consistent year-over-year perspective on how AI adoption is evolving across professional services firms. It will evaluate where AI is delivering tangible value, where expectations continue to outpace results, and how emerging capabilities like agentic AI are reshaping operational models.
Executives, operational leaders, and technology decision-makers in professional services are encouraged to fill out the confidential survey. Completion takes roughly 10 minutes. Those who respond will receive the full 2026 research report at publication time.
Regarding the research
The Impact of AI in Professional Services Benchmark Survey seeks to advance the industry conversation beyond sweeping AI claims. It links adoption trends and use cases to the operational and financial metrics that professional services organizations rely on to gauge performance.
The research will investigate how organizations are deploying AI across fields such as service delivery, resource management, knowledge tasks, client interaction, and business operations. It will also look at the strategic priorities, implementation risks, and performance expectations shaping current investment choices.
All answers will remain confidential and be analyzed only in aggregate. Where the response count allows, findings will be segmented by organizational size, sector, and geography.
Focus areas for the 2026 survey
The questionnaire will collect evidence across four main categories:
• Hype versus measurable value: Where AI is boosting performance and where expected benefits have not yet materialized.
• Leadership priorities: The opportunities, risks, and operational shifts that professional services executives consider most important.
• Use cases in practice: The applications currently aiding employees, automating tasks, and enabling more sophisticated workflows, including agentic AI.
• Business impact: The connection between AI adoption and metrics such as service delivery performance, resource utilization, client satisfaction, and profitability.
Why this research is significant
Professional services organizations need a reliable basis for deciding where to allocate investment, which use cases to emphasize, and how to track outcomes. The 2026 study is designed to help leaders benchmark their approach against peers, pinpoint areas where adoption might be generating value, and understand how the market is moving from experimentation toward more systematic implementation. This research is important because AI should not be judged by the amount of activity or attention
