Executive Power Shift: How C-Suite Leaders Are Seizing Control of AI Strategy

Executive Power Shift: How C-Suite Leaders Are Seizing Control of AI Strategy

The corporate landscape is experiencing a significant power shift as senior executives take command of artificial intelligence strategy, moving decision-making authority away from traditional IT departments. This transformation represents a fundamental change in how companies approach AI implementation and governance.

The Numbers Tell the Story

According to the Forbes Research 2025 AI Survey of over 1,000 C-suite executives, leadership involvement in AI decision-making has skyrocketed:

• CEOs: Involvement jumped from 26% to 55%
• COOs: Participation increased dramatically from 2% to 41%
• CFOs: Engagement rose from 1% to 38%

Meanwhile, traditional tech roles are losing influence:

• IT/Technology Managers: Involvement dropped from 67% to 48%
• Data Scientists/Analysts: Participation plummeted from 44% to 13%

The Governance Challenge

While 73% of executives report collaborative C-suite alignment on AI strategy, significant gaps remain. Only 57% of leaders feel confident in their data governance practices, and 43% say their AI governance committees are stuck in bureaucracy without implementation authority.

The disconnect is evident in leadership understanding of critical challenges. Executive comprehension of infrastructure requirements actually decreased from 72% to 66% over the past year. Even cybersecurity understanding, which improved slightly to 77%, sees only 38% of executives believing their leadership fully grasps the challenge.

What This Means for Your Organization

Data privacy and security concerns remain the top barrier to AI adoption at 59%, followed by data quality issues at 40%. If your organization is planning AI initiatives, consider whether your leadership team has the technical depth to navigate these complex challenges effectively.

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