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Experts say AI ROI is hard to quantify, and earning buy-in requires data-backed persuasion
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April 18, 2025
Key Points
AI adoption often faces hurdles when executives demand quantifying immediate ROI.
Jaime Aguirre of GenAIx highlights the difficulty in translating AI potential into financial terms.
Traditional ROI methods may not apply, complicating buy-in from decision-makers.
Unless we can provide a clear, reliable way to calculate and communicate ROI, we’re going to struggle to get buy-in. Numbers are the universal language used to justify—or shut down—projects.
Jaime Aguirre
Head of Artificial Intelligence | GenAIx
AI can make you work faster (and better) but how does that translate into dollars saved? Those responsible for company finances want to see cold, hard numbers to understand the value AI brings. The problem is, too much is changing to pinpoint what AI brings to the table.
Jaime Aguirre, Head of Artificial Intelligence at GenAIx, a full spectrum AI firm specializing in AI solutions and services, speaks about the challenges of AI adoption, zeroing in on a surprisingly human obstacle: uncertainty. Not uncertainty in the potential of AI itself—but in how to translate that potential into numbers the C-suite can trust.
School of thought: “There’s a whole school of folks who understand finances, the economy, and how to run a company,” Aguirre says. “But they don’t understand how you calculate ROI from an AI venture. Because of the lack of knowledge in AI, because of the relative newness of AI, they’re unable to piece together—what does this investment in AI of $50,000 actually get me?”
In other words, even seasoned executives struggle when asked to assign a value to AI. That ambiguity creates friction at a crucial juncture: getting buy-in from decision-makers.
CSO struggles: Aguirre outlines a typical scenario: a Chief Strategy Officer proposes a $50,000 investment in AI aimed at reducing invoicing time by 40%. The task of justifying the spend is then passed down to a direct report—someone who may not fully grasp the nuances of AI tools, licensing fees, hosting costs, or layered support contracts. “Most people in those positions have a difficult time trying to come up with ROI,” Aguirre says. “And again, no fault of their own.”
The difficulty isn’t just logistical—it’s philosophical. Traditional ROI calculations may not apply cleanly to AI, and even among AI professionals, there's debate over what approach is best. “Is it a traditional method… or is it something brand new?” Aguirre asks. “Because it is new, it’s foreign. We don’t truly understand AI.”
There’s a whole school of folks who understand finances, the economy, and how to run a company. But they don’t understand how you calculate ROI from an AI venture.
Jaime Aguirre
Head of Artificial Intelligence | GenAIx
AI skepticism: And yet, even with the numbers, skepticism lingers—not because leaders don’t want progress, but because the promise of AI often feels too good to be true. “I think it’s a skepticism that represents the internal paradigm shifts within their companies,” Aguirre explains. “They understand and they know the people aspect. They understand and know the processes that they have to follow in order to get something done. Yet when they hear something is going to revolutionize one of their processes, it’s almost as if—‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing’—simply because it seems like such a leap forward… And it isn’t. It really isn’t too good to be true once you dig further into the details.”
Numbers talk: Still, in front of executives, the pitch must be grounded in the universal language of business: numbers. Aguirre recalls being asked at an MIT panel how to persuade a skeptical C-suite. His response was clear: “The one thing a CSO or C-suite executive truly understands is money—figures, return on investment. Unless we can provide a clear, reliable way to calculate and communicate ROI, we’re going to struggle to get buy-in. Numbers are the universal language used to justify—or shut down—projects. So if you want to make a compelling case, present a case study that shows the benefit using a concrete ROI calculation. It’s not about how shiny or impressive the tool looks; that won’t get their attention. The numbers will.
