Early in companies' use of AI, it is possible to choose where to cut cost

The Panorama 2027 survey, by Amcham Brasil and Humanizadas, heard from 662 executives and was presented on 10 November, in Campinas, according to Folha's coverage. For 61%, AI use is still at an early stage or in a pilot project. Process automation appears as a priority for the next two years for 65% of participants, practically tied with the use of AI, mentioned by 63%.

This picture, to me, points to a window. Someone who leads an operation can now choose an expensive, repeated task. In that task, AI can reduce the cost of execution and make the product or service more consistent in delivery time and accuracy.

As a hypothetical example, think of a company that receives a high volume of orders and still records each one by hand. Delivery time varies, and typing errors show up in the record. The tool can read the order, fill in the record and leave a person to review only the doubtful cases. If the cost per order falls and the accuracy rate holds or improves, there is reason to expand that use.

The evaluation does not have to wait for the whole company to mature in its use of AI. It starts with the chosen task. It is worth comparing the current cost of that process with the cost after the change, including implementation, use of the tool, review and corrections. Delivery time, rework and the consistency of what reaches the customer enter the same calculation. The criterion can already be defined before expanding.

The survey also shows that 21% report a positive return in specific processes or areas. In the same question about return, 52% still do not consider it measurable. In another cut, on the stage of use, 12% say they use the technology at scale, with tangible results. The percentages are self-reported answers, with a margin of error of five percentage points, and I read Folha, not the Amcham report.

For those who run the technology, it is worth making clear what the tool does on its own, what a person reviews and when a case comes back to that person to correct. With those rules, it is possible to know whether the cost of the task has fallen and whether delivery time and accuracy have become more stable.

I would start with a task that already has volume in the operation and whose cost can be tracked. The opportunity, at this moment, is to choose that task with a criterion and only expand if the cost falls without making what reaches the customer worse.

Sources

Folha de S.Paulo (C-Level), 10 November 2026, Laura Intrieri. https://c-level.folha.uol.com.br/ia/2026/11/mais-da-metade-das-empresas-ainda-nao-tem-retorno-mensuravel-com-ia-aponta-pesquisa.shtml