C-Suite Leaders Admit Overstating Confidence in Their AI Strategy, New Survey Finds

 

 

 

New survey data released by AI-first consulting firm KUNGFU.AI and Wakefield Research finds 74% of executives have overstated confidence in their AI strategy, revealing a widening gap between boardroom pressure and operational reality

Nearly three-quarters of executives say they have projected more confidence in their company’s AI strategy than they actually felt internally, according to new survey data released by KUNGFU.AI and Wakefield Research. The findings point to growing pressure inside large organizations as leaders race to operationalize AI while navigating uncertainty around ROI, governance, execution, and long-term business risk.

The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research among 300 U.S. C-level executives at companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue, found that nearly every organization surveyed has rebuilt or significantly changed its AI strategy within the last 24 months, while two-thirds of executives believe their current business model may no longer be viable by 2029 because of AI-driven disruption.

“AI is moving much faster than most leaders are comfortable navigating. Our data shows that a significant majority of C-suite executives have publicly projected more confidence in their AI strategy than they privately felt, which tells you how complex a moment we are in,” said Stephen Straus, co-founder and CEO, KUNGFU.AI. “We know people make AI work, and that starts with creating the conditions where leaders can be vulnerable and be clear that they don’t have all the answers yet. The companies building durable AI advantage are the ones starting from that premise and then investing in strategy and governance, alongside the technology itself.”

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Key findings include:

• 74% of executives say they have projected more confidence in their AI strategy than they actually felt
• 99% say their organization has rebuilt or significantly changed its AI strategy within the last 24 months
• 79% say they would fundamentally change how their organization invested in AI if given the chance to start over
• 67% believe their current business model may no longer be viable by 2029 because of AI-driven disruption

The survey reflects how enterprise AI has entered a more operational and financially consequential phase. Nearly four in five executives reported that quality assurance or testing steps had been shortened or overlooked during AI implementation in order to move more quickly. At the same time, 88% said governance, risk, or ethics concerns had caused their organization to delay or stop an AI initiative that appeared financially attractive.

Executives reported increased focus on the long-term implications of AI adoption rather than experimentation alone. When asked what they would most want to discuss with a top AI expert, executives prioritized competitive strategy, ROI, and governance and ethics over basic AI use cases.

The findings suggest enterprise leaders are moving beyond questions of whether to adopt AI and toward harder questions around how to scale it responsibly, govern it effectively, and create lasting enterprise value. Nearly all executives surveyed agreed that strong ethical AI practices will become a long-term competitive differentiator.

“AI is the biggest technological shift of our lifetimes, and I have a lot of empathy for all the leaders who are navigating it in real time. They were all at the top of their game, and then the landscape shifted. What this data makes clear is that while every leader is charting a different course, they are all feeling similar pressures. I believe that navigating this moment calls for a specific kind of leadership, one grounded in curiosity, transparency, and the vulnerability to say the direction forward is still coming into focus,” continued Straus. “The leaders who come out ahead won’t be the ones who had all the answers, or say they do. They’ll be the ones willing to lead without them.”

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