Just one in seven Global 2000 companies, of which 68 are UK-based, hold a clear AI business strategy
LONDON – April 8, 2026 New researchfrom Altimetrik, in partnership with HFS Research, finds that the vast majority of the world’s largest businesses have deployed AI without answering a fundamental question: Who is actually in charge of what it decides?
And yet, AI is shaping hiring decisions, influencing capital allocation, triggering compliance actions and steering operational trade-offs at a scale no executive team can realistically supervise.
The report, Humans at the Helm of AI, is based on a survey of more than 500 senior executives across Global 2000 organisations in five industries and reveals that only 14% have a documented AI strategy with clear goals.
“AI is accelerating decisions across the enterprise, but, done well, it requires deep engineering discipline,” said Raj Sundaresan, CEO of Altimetrik. “Too many organisations are scaling AI without redesigning accountability, which risks scaling bad decisions faster. Putting humans at the helm is about ensuring every AI-driven decision is governed with the same engineering rigour, ownership, and scrutiny we expect from any critical business system. Without that accountability, you’re scaling risk instead of intelligence.”
The report identifies a chasm between organisations that have institutionalised AI as a governed enterprise capability and those still running it as a collection of team-level experiments. Only 13% have reached high maturity, and they are more than twice as likely to report faster, more accurate decisions and measurable customer and revenue impact. Everyone else is stuck managing long execution cycles, ownership ambiguity and governance structures that were designed for a world without AI.
“Enterprises are scaling AI faster than accountability, and that gap is now a workforce crisis,” said Phil Fersht, founder and Chief Analyst of HFS Research. “When leaders don’t define what AI decides and what humans own, employees stop questioning it. That’s not augmentation, it’s abdication. Fix it now, or you’re not building an intelligent organisation. You’re scaling unmanaged risk.”
That pattern is visible across the survey. More than half (52%) of employees say fear of replacement is their biggest barrier to engaging with AI. Nearly 80% receive fewer than 10 hours of training per year. And the skill that AI oversight most depends on, the ability to challenge AI outputs, ranks last among the capabilities executives say they value. The danger with this approach is that it leaves businesses with a workforce that has learned to follow AI rather than govern it. In fact, 75% of organisations say their teams defer to external partners because they lack the confidence to push back.
Read the full report for complete findings.
About Altimetrik
Altimetrik is an AI engineering company, building the systems that power the modern enterprise.
With deep expertise across industries including BFSI, manufacturing, retail & CPG, automotive, healthcare, and life sciences, we help organisations modernise technology, unlock new revenue streams, and build sustainable competitive advantage.
Powered by a global team of 10,000+ practitioners and a foundation of engineering excellence, Altimetrik delivers AI that is not just implemented but operationalised, governed, and built to continuously evolve.
Recognised by Constellation Research and Everest Group for AI and digital engineering leadership, and named among Glassdoor’s Best Led Companies, Altimetrik is redefining how businesses build for the AI era. Learn more at altimetrik.com.
About HFS Research
HFS Research is a leading research and advisory authority on enterprise transformation, serving Fortune 500 companies with fearless insights and actionable strategies. With unparalleled access to Global 2000 executives and deep expertise in AI, automation, and digital business models, HFS empowers organisations to make confident decisions that create sustainable competitive advantage. For more information, visit www.hfsresearch.com.