By Emma Woollacott
Publication Date: 2026-06-08 10:58:00
Most CIOs and CTOs are accountable for systems they don’t fully control, as AI adoption outpaces current governance capabilities.
A new global study of 2,000 C-level technology executives by IBM has found that two-thirds are forced to take responsibility for AI systems that they can’t realistically supervise, with only 11% saying they’re completely prepared for the scale of AI agent deployment.
Respondents said that by 2027, they’re expecting a 38% increase in the number of AI agents deployed; and while eight-in-ten report being given transformation mandates driven by the CEO, 77% said their AI adoption is already outpacing current governance capabilities.
“For 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,” said Matt Lyteson, CIO at IBM.
“It is no longer just about deploying AI faster. It’s redesigning how…
