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<\/p>\n\u2022\tMost surveyed technology leaders are accountable for systems they don\u2019t fully control<\/p>\n
\u2022\tOnly 11% of respondents say they\u2019re completely prepared for the scale of AI agent deployment<\/p>\n
\u2022\tOrganizations that design control into their AI systems achieve significantly stronger performance outcomes<\/p>\n
Jun 8, 2026<\/p>\n
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ARMONK, N.Y., June 8, 2026 \u2013 A new IBM (NYSE: IBM<\/a>) 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.<\/p>\n The global study<\/a>* 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cFor CIOs and CTOs, the challenge now is scaling AI systems that operate continuously and autonomously, often within governance models and architectures designed for a far slower, more predictable environment,\u201d said Matt Lyteson, CIO, IBM. \u201cIt is no longer just about deploying AI faster. It’s redesigning how organizations control, govern and invest in it and embedding control and visibility from the start, so they can scale with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n As AI scales, operational and security risks are growing<\/p>\n
Organizations that redesign AI control and investment see stronger outcomes<\/p>\n
The full study, including recommendations for technology leaders on redesigning structures that govern speed, control and investment, can be found at: https:\/\/www.ibm.com\/thought-leadership\/institute-business-value\/en-us\/c-suite-study\/cxo<\/a><\/p>\n The study also features executive perspectives on how technology leaders are adapting to the complexities of scaling AI across the enterprise. See quote addendum below.<\/p>\n *Study Methodology<\/p>\n The IBM Institute for Business Value, in cooperation with Oxford Economics, surveyed 2,000 senior executives responsible for their organization\u2019s IT, technology, or AI-related decision-making across 33 geographies and 19 industries from January to April 2026. The survey was designed to gather insights on how organizations are managing the financial, operational, and governance challenges associated with scaling AI. Additional analysis was conducted to identify organizations that have built the structural capabilities to scale AI effectively by segmenting organizations based on preparedness and efficiency and assessing governance maturity.<\/p>\n The IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM\u2019s thought leadership think tank, combines\u00a0global research and performance data with expertise from industry thinkers and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. For more world-class thought leadership, visit: www.ibm.com\/ibv<\/a>. To receive more insights, subscribe to the IdeaWatch newsletter: https:\/\/ibm.co\/ibv-ideawatch<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n About IBM<\/p>\n IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. \u00a0Visit\u00a0www.ibm.com<\/a>\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Media contact:<\/p>\n
\n\tAnalysis shows that in organizations relying on manual governance, incident risk increases as AI adoption scales, whereas those that embed control directly into their AI systems experience 25% fewer incidents.
\n\tMost (59%) of tech CxOs surveyed cite security and compliance concerns as top barriers to scaling AI agents.
\n\tSurveyed organizations experienced an average of 54 AI agent incidents last year, in which an unintended and\/or harmful occurrence required human correction.
\n\tAccording to respondents, 17% of those AI agent incidents reported were high severity, requiring more than four hours to contain:
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\n\t\t37% resulted in data exposure or security breaches
\n\t\t33% caused cascading system failures
\n\t\t17% triggered compliance issues
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\n\tAI spend is projected to grow from just under 15% of IT budgets in 2025 to nearly 25% by 2027 \u2013 a 71% increase in two years, raising the stakes for CIOs and CTOs.
\n\tYet, 84% of tech CxOs have not fully operationalized AI financial management, and 85% still lack full visibility into real-time AI spend.
\n\tAnalysis finds that organizations that build control into their AI systems:
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\n\t\tdeploy 16x more AI agents than those relying on manual governance
\n\t\tdeliver 18% higher operating margins
\n\t\tspend 4x less of their AI budget
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\n\tAnalysis shows organizations with strong financial discipline:
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\n\t\tdeploy 2.4x more AI agents with no higher AI\/IT budget
\n\t\tare 3x more likely to say they are fully prepared for AI scale
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\n\tSurveyed organizations that designed for adaptability early \u2013 keeping workloads portable and models replaceable rather than locked into hard dependencies \u2013 reported a 10% higher return on AI investment in 2025.
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