Industrial engineering organizations see more than promise in AI technology — they’re starting to see results. According to the 2026 TE Connectivity Industrial Technology Index, more than 80% of industrial technology companies have already adopted AI at least to some extent, up from 69% the year before.
The promise AI has shown in pilot deployments has been impressive enough to grab the attention of engineers and executives alike. But there are also signs that this early success may be taking some executives’ eyes off the ball. As leaders demand measurable returns, the emphasis on optimized product design and longer-term innovation has fallen by a striking 23-point margin, putting the emphasis squarely on financial ROI. This marks a seismic shift in attitudes toward the technology’s promise. And the risk isn’t that ROI matters too much. It’s that a near-term payback mindset can quietly crowd out the transformational work required to sustain competitive advantage.
