There’s one thing most exec teams agree on right now: we need to do something with AI. However, what they can’t seem to agree on is who’s responsible.

Our recent AI survey with 864 business leaders and technology professionals revealed that the top blockers to AI adoption aren’t technical, but strategic:

• 41% cited lack of a clear AI strategy
• 41% pointed to unclear goals
• 37% said limited budget
• 34% said there’s unclear ownership

So, while the boardroom is buzzing about transformation, most organisations are stuck in a strange limbo: pressure to innovate without a plan to execute.

Why AI adoption is stalling

JP Browne, Practice Lead at Talent Auckland shares, “For the first time ever, I’ve got IT leaders saying: ‘Yes, we want to use this but we literally can’t implement what you need until we fix security and infrastructure.’”

For many, AI is being driven top-down with enthusiasm but falling straight into the laps of overwhelmed IT teams who weren’t prepared to own it.

Jack Jorgensen, General Manager of Data, AI & Innovation at our consultancy arm Avec explains there is a fundamental shift. “IT departments aren’t driving AI; they’re just putting up guardrails. But because execs don’t know who should own it, they’re lumping it in tech’s lap.”

Traditionally, IT has been a business enabler, not the strategic driver, and now they’re caught between enthusiasm and risk mitigation.

Strategy vs shiny objects

Executives want to make a move before they miss the moment but urgency without clarity creates chaos, and budget doesn’t get approved when goals are vague and ROI is fuzzy. As JP reiterates, “The money’s there. The buy-in is there. But no one has defined the problem they’re solving.”

The result? Strategy sessions that go nowhere, capability gaps that stay unfilled, and a flood of shadow AI usage from employees trying to work it out themselves.

Why no-one wants to own it

AI touches everything from operations to data, people, risk, compliance, customer experience, the list goes on… Which is exactly why no one wants to fully own it.

Jack explains, “It’s hard at an executive level to understand how AI applies across every function. And very few people have the visibility to own it end-to-end.”

Without a central owner or clear cross-functional strategy, the AI agenda gets stuck between departments, paused at the sign of risk, or shoved into a tech proof-of-concept that never scales.

So, what does good look like in 2025?

Leading organisations are beginning to:

• Appoint AI leads or cross-functional innovation squads
• Build a lightweight AI framework (use cases, data posture, ethics)
• Define clear roles for IT, data, security and HR
• Pilot use cases with measurable outcomes, not hype
• Invest in education to align teams on what AI is (and isn’t)

“Having no AI strategy is short-sighted. Even if all you’re doing is prepping your security posture, that’s still a strategy,” reassures Jack.

Start small, but smart. You don’t need a 40-page strategy doc to get started but you do need ownership, clarity and intent. Otherwise, you could end up with a dozen AI tools, no business outcomes, and a team wondering why it still takes three weeks to get a report.

If you’re looking to build internal AI capability or make your first AI hire, get in touch with our team.

Or if your business is ready to kick off a data, AI or innovation project, drop a message to Jack’s team at Avec.