The New Economics of AI: Rethinking the Price of Progress

Friday, 4 December, 2026 @11:00am

Date Friday, 4 December, 2026 Time 11:00am -12:00pm AEDT Location Zoom link will be available upon registration. Confirm Your Place Register

AI may be topping the investment agenda, but the financial equation behind it is far from settled.

ADAPT’s latest CFO research points to an interesting contradiction. Australian finance leaders are prioritising AI at scale, yet many still lack a complete picture of what it costs, how much value it delivers and whether existing technology investments are being fully utilised.

Meanwhile, the traditional boundaries between finance and technology decision-making are becoming less distinct. CFOs are no longer simply evaluating the numbers behind transformation. They are increasingly helping determine which investments progress, what constitutes a credible return and where the organisation should place its next technology bets.

For technology providers, this raises a more fundamental question: are they selling what organisations want to build, or what CFOs are prepared to fund?

In this Analyst Market Briefing, ADAPT will connect insights from its latest CFO Edge research to examine the financial realities reshaping Australia’s technology market. We will explore where AI investment appetite is translating into opportunity, where economic scrutiny is creating friction, and how providers can position themselves on the right side of the investment equation heading into 2027.

Key Takeaways The investment paradox: Why AI leads the CFO agenda even as competing priorities and financial constraints challenge execution. Following the money: Where CFOs anticipate technology investment, and what this reveals about emerging market opportunities. The hidden economics of AI: What gaps in cost visibility, consumption oversight and value attribution mean for AI at scale. The changing power dynamic: How finance and technology leaders differ in their perspectives on ROI, budget approval and investment value. Rethinking the commercial conversation: How providers can translate technology capability into financial credibility and more compelling investment cases.

Gabby Fredkin Head of Analytics & Insights

Gabby’s primary role is managing analysis to produce ADAPT’s actionable insights. He has extensive experience in using data to identify technology trends... More

Gabby’s primary role is managing analysis to produce ADAPT’s actionable insights. He has extensive experience in using data to identify technology trends to support Australian organisations.

Using modern data science techniques, he provides ADAPT and its customers with confidence in the accuracy and validity of the information used for ADAPT’s research, advisory and events.

With a passion for creating stories with data, Gabby is consistently rated as one of the top speakers at ADAPT’s events. In roundtable discussions, he specialises in using statistics to initiate thought-provoking discussions.

Gabby is effective in translating information into insights, enabling ADAPT’s customers to become more data-driven.

Gabby’s primary areas of expertise are:

Advanced AI and ML practices, including AI ethics.
Building models to benchmark and predict IT performance.
End-user behaviour and human-centred design.
Cross-functional team design and value, such as DevSecOps.

Anthony Saba Managing Director, Transformation Services

Anthony leads the growth, strategy, and delivery of ADAPT’s Transformation Services and Go-to-Market Services Business Units. He is driven by a core... More

Anthony leads the growth, strategy, and delivery of ADAPT’s Transformation Services and Go-to-Market Services Business Units.

He is driven by a core belief that we are experiencing a modern industrial revolution, one that will fundamentally reshape how business is done and pose serious challenges to the future of many Australian organisations and industries.

In this environment, success will not necessarily favour incumbents, or those with the deepest pockets or broadest resources, but rather organisations who are most able to ADAPT quickly and effectively to the evolving needs of their customers, employees and ecosystems.

With this belief, ADAPT is evolving into a critical platform that Australia’s enterprise leaders, local solution providers, and trusted advisors can rely on to succeed over the next decade.

By removing barriers, democratising access to proven expertise, promoting local ANZ innovation, and enabling rapid, meaningful connections between leaders and experts, ADAPT is committed to helping Australia not just survive, but thrive in the complex and uncertain times ahead.