• Most surveyed technology leaders are accountable for systems they don’t fully control• Only 11% of respondents say they’re completely prepared for the scale of AI agent deployment• Organizations that design control into their AI systems achieve significantly stronger performance outcomes
Jun 8, 2026
ARMONK, N.Y., June 8, 2026 – A new IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value study reveals that as AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, two-thirds of surveyed CIOs and CTOs report being held accountable for AI systems they do not fully control, while governance struggles to keep pace at scale.
The global study* of 2,000 C-level technology executives (tech CxOs) finds that the lack of visibility is widespread. The majority of surveyed executives (70%) say teams across the business are deploying technology faster than IT can track.
At the same time, technology leaders face growing pressure to scale AI faster, even as many lack the structures to support it. By 2027, surveyed tech CxOs anticipate a 38% increase in the number of AI agents deployed. While 80% of respondents report CEO-driven AI transformation mandates, only 11% believe they are fully ready for the scale of AI agent deployment expected in the next year. Governance is also falling behind, with 77% of organizations surveyed reporting AI adoption is already outpacing current governance capabilities.
