Though businesses are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) or taking steps to include AI features in their business, there is a responsibility gap that threatens to undermine progress. Over 80% of executives acknowledge that leadership, governance, and workforce readiness are failing to keep pace with AI advancements—putting investment, security, and public trust at risk, according to a new study by NTT DATA.
More than 60% of C-suite executives have described the extent of the gap between innovation and responsibility as significant. Also, one in three in the C-suite says responsibility matters more than innovation.
“The enthusiasm for AI is undeniable, but our findings show that innovation without responsibility is a risk multiplier,” said Abhijit Dubey, chief executive officer, NTT DATA. He added that organisations need leadership-driven AI governance strategies to close this gap—before progress stalls and trust erodes.
Without decisive action, organisations risk a future where AI advancements outstrip the governance needed to ensure ethical, secure, and effective AI adoption, the report said.
It added that leaders must go beyond legal requirements and meet AI ethical and social standards using a systematic approach. Also, organisations must upskill employees to work alongside AI and ensure teams understand AI’s risks and opportunities. It also suggests that there should be global collaboration on AI policy. Businesses, regulators, and industry leaders must come together to create clearer, actionable AI governance frameworks and establish global AI standards.
Pointing out that the AI responsibility gap is widening, the report mentioned that over 80% of leaders say unclear government regulations hinder AI investment and implementation, leading to delayed adoption. Almost 89% of C-suite leaders worry about AI security risks, yet only 24% of CISOs believe their organisations have a strong framework to balance AI risk and value creation
"AI’s trajectory is clear—its impact will only grow. But without decisive leadership, we risk a future where innovation outpaces responsibility, creating security gaps, ethical blind spots, and missed opportunities. The business community must act now. By embedding responsibility into AI’s foundation—through design, governance, workforce readiness, and ethical frameworks—we unlock AI’s full potential while ensuring it serves businesses, employees, and society at large equally,” Dubey added.