Companies report early financial gains from artificial intelligence investments
Latest third-quarter earnings show a shift from speculative AI spending to measurable impacts on revenue and profitability across global industries.
Several major corporations, including Santander, Novartis, and Standard Chartered, have begun reporting that artificial intelligence is contributing directly to their bottom lines. Following significant capital expenditure on AI infrastructure, the technology is now yielding discernible results in revenue growth and cost efficiency.
Spanish bank Santander disclosed that its AI initiatives generated 194 million euros in business value during the first nine months of 2026. CFO José García Cantera noted that the technology has allowed the institution to automate low-value tasks, enabling employees to focus on more strategic work, which has positively influenced both revenue and expense lines.
Pharmaceutical firm Novartis also pointed to AI as a driver of third-quarter performance. CEO Vas Narasimhan stated that this quarter marked the first instance where the company saw tangible improvements to its profit and loss statement resulting from AI applications in R&D and marketing. While quantifying exact contributions remains a challenge, these disclosures reflect a broader trend of companies beginning to validate the productivity gains promised by their previous years of AI investment.