Findings from the PwC 2024 Global Investor Survey show growing investor pressure on companies to turn their artificial intelligence (AI) investments into concrete, near‑term benefits. Seventy‑three percent of surveyed investors say firms should deploy AI solutions widely, and 74% want increased resources devoted to workforce skills development.
What is driving corporate transformation?
Seventy‑one percent of respondents identified technological change as the primary driver of corporate transformation. Other forces pushing companies to rethink how they create value include government regulation (64%), shifting customer demands (61%), and supply‑chain uncertainty (60%).
Short‑term expectations for generative AI
More than 60% of investors expect short‑term gains from generative AI: 66% anticipate productivity improvements, 63% expect higher revenue, and 62% foresee better profitability within the next 12 months. Expectations about workforce impacts are mixed: 32% predict headcount increases due to AI, while 31% expect reductions.
Because of these dynamics, 74% of investors believe companies should raise investment in employee retraining and development.
Economic outlook and risk priorities
Investors express cautious optimism about the global economy: 51% expect growth over the next 12 months. Concerns about macroeconomic conditions and inflation have eased substantially since 2022 — macroeconomic concern fell from 62% to 34%, and inflation concern from 67% to 31% in 2024. Nevertheless, the top ongoing worries are cyber risks (36%) and geopolitical conflicts (36%), which have remained broadly unchanged over the past two years.
Eighty‑six percent of investors regard a company’s crisis‑management capability as a key consideration in investment decisions. Sixty percent say firms need to rethink business models to handle supply‑chain uncertainty, and 68% support higher investment to mitigate risks.
Climate risk, sustainability and reporting credibility
Thirty percent of investors believe companies will face significant or extreme exposure to climate risks in the next 12 months; this is 2 percentage points lower than in 2023 but 8 points higher than in 2022.
Seventy‑five percent of respondents would increase allocations to companies that take concrete climate action. The most widely supported measures are building sustainable supply chains in collaboration with suppliers and local communities (80%).
When assessing net‑zero plans, investors place particular weight on leadership (72%) and related capital or operational expenditures (68%). Additionally, 71% expect companies to integrate ESG strategies into their operations.
However, the credibility of sustainability disclosures remains a concern: 44% of respondents believe corporate sustainability reports contain unsupported claims. Accordingly, 73% expect the level of detail in sustainability reporting to reach the standard of financial audits.
Data sources used in investment decisions
Beyond financial metrics, investors rely on a range of other information: 40% value governance‑related data and 37% prioritize innovation‑related information. Most investors obtain information from investor communications (61%) or direct engagement with companies (57%). Use of financial statements and accompanying notes has declined compared with 2023 (55% this year versus 66% in 2023).
Investors emphasize quality of data: nearly two‑thirds (62%) say AI has improved their analytical capabilities.
Methodology
PwC conducted the survey in September 2024 across 24 countries and territories, interviewing a total of 345 investors and analysts and conducting 14 in‑depth interviews. The majority of respondents were institutional investors, including portfolio managers (21%), analysts (21%), and investment directors (23%); 52% reported more than ten years of industry experience. The organizations represented manage a wide range of asset sizes, strategies and horizons, with total assets under management ranging from under USD 500 million to USD 1 trillion or more; 53% of respondents represented organizations with more than USD 10 billion in assets under management.
(Source: PwC 2024 Global Investor Survey.)
