Definition
What is ai roi?
AI ROI is the net annual benefit of an AI-supported workflow divided by the total investment required to deliver and operate it: (annual gross value − annual running cost) ÷ first-year investment. Gross value is built from released labour time, avoided error and rework, and — where attributable — capacity or revenue effects.
Updated 3 September 2026
Why it matters
- It is the language in which AI investment is approved or refused.
- A calculated ROI forces an explicit baseline, which is the artefact most programmes lack.
- Expressed as a range with confidence, it survives scrutiny; as a single percentage, it does not.
Business example
A team processing 1,800 documents a month at 14 minutes each establishes a €161,000 annual baseline, models a €92,000-€115,000 value range, and reports payback of 13-16 months including running cost.
Common misconceptions
- 'Hours saved equals money saved.' Only if the hours convert to avoided hiring, absorbed growth or redeployment.
- 'Inference cost is the running cost.' Human review is often larger.
- 'Benchmarked ROI from a vendor applies to us.' It applies to their reference case, not your baseline.
Related concepts
- AI business case
- Payback period
- Total cost of ownership
Where would this apply in your business?
Merjora maps your workflows and quantifies the opportunities worth acting on.
Discover your AI opportunitiesRelated reading
Editorial standard. Merjora publishes analysis, frameworks and publicly documented examples. We do not publish invented statistics, unattributed benchmarks or unverified customer stories.