Report Finds 85% of C-Suite Executives Lack Connected AI Systems
A study of 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies found a significant gap between enterprise AI adoption and the ability to coordinate tools, data and accountability.
Most senior executives surveyed believe AI should produce measurable returns, but many organisations lack the systems and structures needed to coordinate their tools. A report from WSJ Intelligence and Code and Theory found that enterprises use an average of 183 AI tools, while 85% do not have systems connecting them.
The research covered 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue. It focuses on what the report calls the “orchestration gap”: the distance between adopting AI tools and running them as a connected, agentic enterprise.
Although 94% of respondents said improved coordination between AI tools is essential to growth, only 15% of AI investments currently function as a unified system with shared intelligence across an organisation.
The report says 85% of C-suite executives believe AI must deliver measurable return on investment. However, three in five respondents said the growing number of tools has left strategic execution stagnant, while two-thirds of organisations routinely identify redundant AI investments.
Responsibility for coordinating AI is also divided. Some 42% of CEOs said they own AI orchestration, compared with 57% of technology leaders who said the same. One in four companies reported that no individual is clearly accountable.
Respondents described the main obstacles as cultural and structural rather than technical. Siloed thinking and corporate culture were identified by 61%, followed by fragmented data and incompatible data models at 58%. The absence of a centralised operating layer was cited by 56%, while skill set gaps accounted for 38% and budget for 29%.
More than two-thirds of companies have not issued a request for proposal for a centralised orchestration system. In customer-facing operations, 78% of executives said channels lack a unified data model and brand architecture.
Governance remains another area of uneven implementation. Only 18% of organisations apply the same governance and accountability standards to AI agents as they do to human leaders.
Dan Gardner, Co-Founder of Code and Theory, said businesses are having difficulty linking the people, systems and data involved in AI. He described an orchestration layer as the missing component and said that, once established, it could broaden the opportunity from individual efficiency to value across the business.
Code and Theory is described as a digital transformation agency and as Stagwell’s digital transformation network. Stagwell trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol STGW. WSJ Intelligence is identified in the material as a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department.
Enterprises use an average of 183 AI tools, but 85% lack systems to connect them.
The research surveyed 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue.
Only 15% of AI investments operate as a unified system with shared intelligence.
Accountability is divided, with 42% of CEOs and 57% of technology leaders saying they own AI orchestration, while one in four companies identifies no clear owner.
Reported barriers include siloed corporate culture, fragmented data, missing operating layers, skill set gaps and budget constraints.
Code and Theory and WSJ Intelligence announced the findings of a new study on the gap between enterprise AI adoption and the ability to operate AI initiatives as a connected system. The report, titled “The Orchestration Gap: Why AI Investment Isn’t Driving Enterprise Performance,” examines how companies are managing AI tools, data, accountability and governance.
The report was announced on October 7, 2026. It is based on research involving 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue.
Enterprises have an average of 183 AI tools, according to the report. The report says 85% of enterprises do not have systems to connect those tools, while 94% of respondents consider better orchestration essential to growth.
The report says 85% of the C-suite believe AI must deliver measurable return on investment, while enterprises are struggling to demonstrate a material return. Three in five executives say tool proliferation has left strategic execution stagnant, and two-thirds of organisations routinely uncover redundant AI investments.
The report defines the “orchestration gap” as the widening distance between deploying AI and operating as a connected, agentic enterprise. It says only 15% of AI investments currently operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organisation.
Accountability is unclear in many companies surveyed: 42% of CEOs believe they own AI orchestration, 57% of technology leaders believe they do, and one in four companies says no one is clearly accountable. The report identifies a lack of clear ownership at the top as a core issue.
The main barriers identified are siloed mindsets and corporate culture at 61%, fragmented data and incompatible data models at 58%, the absence of a centralised operating layer at 56%, skill set gaps at 38% and budget at 29%. The report characterises these barriers as cultural and structural rather than technical.
More than two-thirds of companies have not issued a request for proposal for a centralised orchestration system. The report also says only 15% of AI investments currently operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organisation.
The report says 78% of executives report that customer-facing channels lack a unified data model and brand architecture. This is presented as one of the reported gaps in connecting AI tools, data and business operations.
Only 18% of organisations apply the same governance and accountability standards to AI agents as they apply to human leaders. The finding forms part of the report’s assessment of AI accountability and operating structures.
Dan Gardner, Co-Founder of Code and Theory, said businesses are struggling to connect the people, systems and data around AI and are missing an orchestration layer. He said that, once such a layer is in place, the opportunity could expand from individual efficiency to unlocking value across the entire business.
Code and Theory describes itself as a digital transformation agency where the C-suite comes together to create change. It says its offering combines strategy, creativity and technology through a balance of 50% creatives and 50% engineers at scale.
Code and Theory is described as Stagwell’s digital transformation network. Stagwell is identified in the source as trading on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol STGW.
The full report, “The Orchestration Gap: Why AI Investment Isn’t Driving Enterprise Performance,” is available at codeandtheory.com/orchestrationgap. The source says WSJ Intelligence is a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department and that The Wall Street Journal news organisation was not involved in creating the content.