A staggering 74 per cent of CEOs internationally admit they are at risk of losing their job within two years if they fail to deliver measurable AI-driven business gains, a new study said.
The study, conducted by The Harris Poll for Dataiku, also showed that artificial intelligence (AI) strategy has become the defining factor in corporate survival.
CEOs under pressure
The study findings underscore an unprecedented shift in executive accountability, as 70 per cent of CEOs predict that by the end of the year, at least one of their peers will be ousted due to a failed AI strategy or AI-induced crisis.
Besides, more than half of the executives – 54 per cent – admit that a competitor has already deployed a superior AI strategy, highlighting the urgency for organisations to move beyond AI ambition into tangible execution.
The report also signalled a radical redefinition of corporate leadership, as AI increasingly challenges the role of decision-making.
As per the key findings of the study, 94 per cent of CEOs admit that an AI agent could provide equal or better counsel on business decisions than a human board member.
Besides, 89 per cent of CEOs believe AI can develop an equal or better strategic plan than one or more of their executive leaders, a cohort defined as VP to C-suite.
The study said despite their growing reliance on AI, many executives remain dangerously unaware of the pitfalls of poorly executed AI strategies.
“As high as 87 per cent of CEOs fall into the “AI commodity trap,” expressing confidence that off-the-shelf AI agents can be just as effective as custom-built solutions for highly nuanced vertical or domain-specific business applications, while 35 per cent of AI initiatives are suspected to be “AI washing” – designed more for optics than real business impact,” it said.
The study also revealed that 94 per cent of the executives suspect employees are using GenAI tools – such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney – without company approval (known as “shadow AI”), exposing a massive governance failure within organisations.
It also said while AI adoption accelerates, poor governance and regulatory uncertainty are creating significant roadblocks, with one in three CEOs admitting their AI projects have been delayed due to regulatory uncertainty.
“For CEOs today, every AI decision feels like a high-stakes gamble that can drive competitive dominance or lead to costly consequences,” said Florian Douetteau, co-founder and CEO of Dataiku.
“The only way to turn AI into an enduring advantage is to assert greater control and governance – future-proofing not just the companies these CEOs run, but their own roles as leaders in an increasingly AI-powered economy,” Douetteau said.
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