Why R&D Waste Persists Despite Widespread AI Adoption

A 2026 industry report based on a survey of 200+ senior R&D professionals reveals that despite widespread AI adoption, many organizations still lose 25-40% of R&D budgets on projects that never reach market. AI is mainly used for execution, not strategic investment decisions, leading to costly late-stage failures. Early access to competitive and market intelligence is shown to improve project prioritization and reduce waste.