25-country global survey shows that security, risk and governance is the #1 factor that leaders are considering when deploying AI
PRESS RELEASE
MUMBAI, November 04, 2026: Eighty-four percent of executives surveyed rank productivity improvement as the leading source of value realized from AI investments, yet only 10% of global enterprises allow AI agents to execute decisions without human approval across multiple functions or business areas, according to a new global study from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions. The study also finds that just 9% of executives report AI agents capable of securely orchestrating workflows across enterprise applications. The findings highlight the gap between the value that enterprises are already deriving from AI-assisted work and their readiness to give AI agents greater autonomy and authority to act.
The study, TCS Enterprise AI Study: Intelligence that is Real, highlights security as a defining factor in the next phase of enterprise AI. Security, risk, and governance considerations rank as the leading factor shaping how and where AI systems are developed and deployed, ahead of cost, speed, and ease of deployment. That emphasis is becoming increasingly consequential as enterprises give AI greater access to applications, workflows and decision-making processes.
The findings reflect the evolution toward a Human+AI operating model, where AI progresses from assisting employees to taking on greater responsibility and, where appropriate, operating with increasing levels of autonomy. As enterprises move along that continuum, deriving greater value from AI will depend on having the right security, governance and controls in place to determine where human oversight remains essential and where AI can be given greater authority to act.
Amit Kapur, Chief AI and Services Transformation Officer, TCS, said, “We are seeing significant progress in scaling AI for enterprises. The shift is clearly in AI moving from assisting people to taking more autonomous action with deep access into an enterprise. Productivity is clearly where enterprises are seeing the greatest value from AI today, with 84% of executives ranking it as the leading source of value from their AI investments though 10% have also indicated that they have seen an uplift in revenue. What seems to be holding organisations back – and rightly so – are concerns around security, governance, and resilience. Deploying AI responsibly, with the right guardrails and enterprise controls will be the big focus in the next stage of this journey.”
Platform independence: Executives are also increasingly focused on AI resilience and flexibility. Ninety percent of respondents say that model independence is an important factor in AI investment decisions, while 34% identify AI sovereignty-related requirements involving control over data location, model choice, and compliance as a high or very high organisational risk. The concern is particularly acute in Europe, where 43% of respondents cite AI sovereignty-related requirements as a high or very high organisational risk. At the same time, only 7% of global respondents report having organisation-wide provider-switching continuity plans, suggesting that concern about model dependence and sovereignty is advancing faster than operational preparedness.
Other key global findings from the report include:
Regional AI Priorities and Readiness Vary: The study also identified notable regional differences in enterprise AI adoption. North America showed particular strength across several enterprise AI foundations, with 15% of respondents reporting that AI is treated as a strategic enterprise capability. Europe showed a strong focus on AI sovereignty, with 43% citing sovereignty-related requirements as a high or very high organisational risk. Meanwhile, the UK and Ireland stood out on operational resilience, reporting comparatively strong levels of AI continuity planning and governance integration.
Survey methodology: The study surveyed 1,333 senior business and technology leaders across 25 countries and 12 industries. Respondents included C-suite executives, divisional leaders, and senior vice presidents and vice presidents from organisations with annual revenues ranging from US$500 million to more than US$20 billion.
The full report, TCS Enterprise AI Study: Intelligence that is Real, is available at: TCS Enterprise AI Study: Intelligence that is real
Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) is the technology partner of choice for industry-leading organisations worldwide. Since its inception in 1968, TCS has upheld the highest standards of innovation, engineering excellence, and customer service.
It has set an aspiration to become the world's largest AI-led technology services company and is enabling its clients to transform themselves across the full AI stack, from infrastructure to intelligence.
Rooted in the heritage of the Tata Group, TCS is focused on creating long term value for its clients, its investors, its employees, and the community at large. With a highly skilled workforce spread across 56 countries and 194 service delivery centers across the world, the company has been recognized as a top employer in six continents. With the ability to rapidly apply and scale new technologies, the company has built long-term partnerships with its clients. Many of these relationships have endured into decades and navigated every technology cycle, from mainframes in the 1970s to artificial intelligence today.
TCS sponsors 14 of the world’s most prestigious marathons and endurance events, including the TCS New York City Marathon, TCS London Marathon, Tata Mumbai Marathon, and TCS Sydney Marathon with a focus on promoting health, sustainability, and community empowerment.
TCS generated consolidated revenues of over US $30 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. For more information, visit www.tcs.com