Amid the race to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI), a responsibility gap widens and threatens to slow down adoption, according to a recent study by NTT DATA Inc.
The report, The AI Responsibility Gap: Why Leadership is the Missing Link, reveals that over 80% of executives acknowledge that leadership, governance, and workforce readiness fail to catch up with AI advancements.
“The enthusiasm for AI is undeniable, but our findings show that innovation without responsibility is a risk multiplier,” said Abhijit Dubey, chief executive officer of NTT DATA, Inc. “Organisations need leadership-driven AI governance strategies to close this gap—before progress stalls and trust erodes.”
Widening AI responsibility gap
According to the report, several factors hinder AI adoption, such as divisions in the C-suite. A third believes responsibility matters more than innovation, another third prioritises innovation over safety, and the remaining third rates them equally.
Moreover, it revealed that over 80% of leaders say unclear government regulations hinder AI investment and delay AI adoption.
Security and ethics concerns are also a significant hindrance. 89% of C-suite leaders worry about AI security risks, while only 24% of CISOs say their organisations have a strong framework to balance AI risk and value creation.
The report also reveals that the workforce may lack readiness for AI, with 67% of executives saying their employees lack the skills to work effectively with AI and 72% admitting not having an AI policy for its responsible use.
Organisations are also concerned with sustainability, with 75% of leaders saying it conflicts with AI ambitions.
Closing the gap
To ensure ethical, secure, and effective AI adoption, NTT DATA urges leaders to integrate security, compliance, and transparency into AI development, meet AI ethical and social standards, upskill employees, and collaborate with stakeholders to create clearer, actionable AI governance frameworks and establish global AI standards.
The report draws insight from over 2,300 C-suite leaders and decision-makers across 34 countries.
