DENVER, Nov. 11, 2026. The AI Adoption Institute (AiAi) launched this week to help mid-market companies turn AI from an expense into a measurable return. AiAi combines peer circles for business leaders, original research, and a single scorecard: Return on AI (ROAI).
The launch comes as the data on AI results stays stubborn:
- Nearly nine in ten organizations now use AI in at least one business function, but only 37% attribute any profit impact to it, a share that has not moved in a year (McKinsey, August 2026).
- Just 6% qualify as AI high performers, with at least 5% of earnings tied to AI (McKinsey, August 2026).
- 56% of CEOs say their company has seen neither higher revenue nor lower costs from AI. Only 12% report both (PwC's 29th Global CEO Survey of 4,454 CEOs, January 2026).
"I've asked nearly 2,000 CEOs and business leaders how AI is going," said Brett Schklar, President and Enterprise Futurist of AiAi and author of AI Without the BS. "Nearly all of them had tools. Almost none of them had the ability to keep up with AI advancements and how to turn that into a strength for a company. Companies bought the licenses and skipped the hard part, which is changing how the work gets done."
How AiAi works
- Circles. Groups of 10 to 16 leaders from non-competing companies, organized by role: HR, finance, operations, marketing, sales and CEOs. Each circle is led by a trained Catalyst and works real AI problems every month. AI City Circles meet in person in Denver, Miami, New York City, San Diego and Sacramento. AI Anywhere Circles meet virtually. See the circles.
- Research. Five short, anonymous studies are open now through Jan. 31, 2027, covering AI adoption, HR, the CEO perspective, trust, and outside AI consultants. First findings publish in Q1 2027. Take a study.
"Profitable AI adoption is a leadership problem before it's a technology problem," Schklar said. "The leaders who get a return compare notes with peers, measure everything, and stop funding what doesn't work. A circle puts that discipline on the calendar every month."
Free webinars: Nov. 12 and Nov. 24
Schklar and Dr. Rebecca Nusbaum, AiAi's Head of Research & Education, will host a free 45-minute live session on how circles run, where a company sits on AiAi's five-level Operational Maturity Scale, and how ROAI gets measured. It's the same session both days, and everyone who registers gets the recording.
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 11:00 a.m. MT (1:00 p.m. ET). Register for Nov. 12
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, 11:00 a.m. MT (1:00 p.m. ET). Register for Nov. 24
- Session details
An in-person lunch session follows in Denver on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Save a seat at the Denver lunch.
About the AI Adoption Institute
The AI Adoption Institute (AiAi) helps mid-market companies with 50 to 5,000 employees move from AI experimentation to measurable results through peer circles, original research and events. AiAi is based in Denver. Learn more at TheAiAi.net.