---
id: "quote-marginal-benefits"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["¶5"]
tags: ["roi", "enterprise-ai"]
related: ["claim-marginal-business-impact", "contrarian-ai-hype-vs-reality"]
quote: "activity producing marginal rather than game-changing benefits, so far."
speakers: ["Marc Zao-Sanders"]
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-cl-77-new-data-using-ai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/new-data-on-how-were-really-using-ai"
sourceTitle: "New Data on How We’re Really Using AI"
---
# AI producing marginal benefits

> *"activity producing marginal rather than game-changing benefits, so far."* — [[entity-marc-zao-sanders]]

This quote encapsulates the reality of enterprise AI adoption as of 2026. Despite massive investment and hype, empirical data shows AI mostly optimizing at the edges rather than fundamentally reinventing core business processes. It is the evidentiary kernel of [[claim-marginal-business-impact]] and the contrarian [[contrarian-ai-hype-vs-reality]]. Note the deliberate hedge — **'so far'** — which leaves room for the transformative pockets (2–4x gains in software, support, marketing) surfaced in the enrichment.