IBM study finds Canadian firms face widening AI control gap
Mon, 29th Jun 2026 (Today)
IBM research has found that Canadian organisations are increasing the use of artificial intelligence across business operations, while governance, workforce preparedness and accountability are failing to keep pace with deployment.
The findings draw on two global studies by the IBM Institute for Business Value that surveyed 2,000 chief executive officers and 2,000 C-suite technology leaders. The Canadian results point to a gap between efforts to scale AI and the organisational structures needed to manage it effectively.
AI adoption
The research found that 90% of Canadian CEOs are embedding AI across multiple business workflows. It also found that 80% believe their organisations are deploying AI quickly enough to achieve business objectives.
Despite that confidence, only 43% of AI initiatives have delivered their expected return on investment during the past two years. The findings suggest many organisations continue to face challenges in translating AI investment into measurable business outcomes.
Technology leaders also expect AI adoption to accelerate. Canadian respondents forecast an average of 1,189 AI agents will be deployed by 2027, representing a 36% increase from current levels.
"Canadian organizations are still figuring out how to scale AI responsibly," said Manav Gupta, Vice President and CTO, IBM Canada. "What we're seeing is a growing gap between the speed of adoption and the governance, operating models and workforce readiness needed to support it. Closing that gap will be critical to realizing AI's full value and staying competitive."
Governance concerns
The research found that many organisations lack confidence in their ability to manage AI as deployments expand.
Only 9% of Canadian technology leaders said they feel fully prepared for the expected increase in AI deployment.
More than two-thirds, or 68%, reported being accountable for AI systems they do not fully control. Another 73% said AI adoption is advancing faster than their organisations' IT governance capabilities.
Security and compliance also remain significant barriers. Half of Canadian CIOs and CTOs identified these concerns as the main obstacle to scaling AI effectively across their organisations.
The findings indicate that governance frameworks and operational oversight are developing more slowly than AI implementation, creating additional pressure on technology leaders responsible for managing enterprise systems.
Workforce impact
The study also examined how organisations are preparing employees for broader AI adoption.
Four in five Canadian CEOs agreed that employee adoption will play a greater role in AI success than the technology itself.
Business leaders expect substantial changes to workforce skills during the next few years. By 2028, CEOs anticipate that 53% of employees will require upskilling to continue performing their current roles.
The research also found that 29% of the workforce is expected to require complete reskilling for different roles as AI becomes more widely integrated into business processes.
These findings suggest organisations expect workforce development to become a significant part of their AI strategies alongside investments in technology and infrastructure.
Technology planning
Some organisations are adjusting their technology environments to support ongoing AI development while maintaining long-term operational stability.
The study highlighted the use of modular technology architectures that allow organisations to introduce new AI technologies without disrupting existing systems.
"We design modular architectures so components can evolve as technology advances, without breaking the overall system," said Boris Alexandre, CIO North America, Airbus, Canada. "That approach allows us to absorb rapid innovation while supporting products with decades-long lifecycles."
The CEO study surveyed 2,000 senior business leaders across 33 geographies and 21 industries between February and April 2026. The technology leadership study surveyed 2,000 executives responsible for IT, technology and AI decision-making across 33 geographies and 19 industries between January and April 2026. Both studies were conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value in cooperation with Oxford Economics.