# Payback period

The elapsed time for cumulative benefits from an AI initiative to equal its cumulative investment and operating cost.

The FinOps Foundation frames this as a breakeven point between AI-driven work and an alternative such as labor. Deloitte's 2026 research is the strongest current source showing this period lengthening in practice, against boards that budgeted for a shorter one.

**Related research:**
- [AI ROI: The Paradox of Rising Investment](https://measuredvalue.ai/research/deloitte-ai-roi-paradox-2026/)