AI has hit fever pitch. It’s perhaps the most pervasive and disruptive technology of this millennium, yet it’s still in its infancy. It’s transforming industries in ways we couldn’t have anticipated, reshaping how organizations operate, fueling new economies and changing the workforce.
This explains why more than 60% of organizations surveyed for NTT DATA’s landmark Global GenAI Report believe GenAI will be a game changer within two years, and almost 70% are optimistic about the technology. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents plan to invest significantly in GenAI in 2025–6, proving there is no slowdown in its growth.
In the C-suite, specifically, 64% of executives expect significant transformation in their industry in 2025 thanks to major investments in GenAI. This is significant because leaders’ commitment to AI and GenAI will determine the success of the technology as their belief in its power trickles down to the entire organization, shaping how it is embraced, integrated and scaled as a strategic priority.
In short, GenAI — and AI more broadly — is transforming the DNA of core organizational strategies and forcing most enterprises to fundamentally reevaluate their technological opportunities. Following a period of experimentation and ideation around AI in organizations, this year will see an increasing focus on identifying tangible GenAI successes that can be taken into production.
No progress without risk
But transformative technologies always come with risks. Far too often, we ignore governance in favor of rapid innovation, leading to a responsibility crisis — and AI is no exception. Its breakneck speed of growth has outpaced governance, and executives are struggling to balance innovation with accountability. This sets us on a dangerous path toward stalled innovation if responsibility efforts don’t catch up.
At NTT DATA, we call this crisis the responsibility gap, referring to the disconnect between the speed of innovation and frameworks for responsibility regarding ethics, safety, sustainability and inclusiveness.
Our latest perspective, The AI Responsibility Gap: Why Leadership Is the Missing Link, dives into this stark reality and details the critical role of leadership in closing the gap.
Balancing innovation and responsibility
Based on responses from more than 2,300 senior leaders in diverse roles and industries across 35 countries, the perspective presents concrete data that showcases the urgent need for a leadership-driven mandate to align AI innovation with ethical responsibility. Without it, we compromise security, introduce ethical bias and miss opportunities to grow AI sustainability.
While 1 in 3 in the C-suite say responsibility matters more than innovation when it comes to AI and GenAI, nearly the same number say innovation matters more — and the remainder believe innovation and responsibility are equally important. This shows the C-suite is at odds with itself about where the balance between innovation and responsibility should lie. One trend is evident, though: as investment in GenAI surges, the gap widens.
Our perspective explores the C-suite’s views on the extent of the gap and its impact on society and business, as well as the main reasons for organizations leaning more toward innovation than responsibility and vice versa. There’s also the rising need for training the workforce as investment increases — an ongoing evolution that requires constant management.
The findings are a clear call to action for the business community: it’s beyond time to act. Embed responsibility into the foundations of AI. Unlock its full potential. Become a part of the solution.