85% of the C-Suite Say Their AI Tech Stacks Are Disconnected

Only 18% of surveyed executives apply the same governance and accountability standards to AI agents as to human leaders.

Rhea-AI Summary

Stagwell (STGW) agency Code and Theory and WSJ Intelligence released a study finding disconnected AI technology stacks among 85% of surveyed executives.

The study surveyed 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue. Enterprises average 183 AI tools, while 94% of respondents say better coordination of tools is essential to growth. Three in five executives say tool proliferation has left strategic execution stagnant, and two-thirds of organizations routinely uncover redundant AI investments.

Only 15% of AI investments operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organization. Responsibility is also unclear: 42% of CEOs and 57% of technology leaders believe they own AI coordination, while one in four companies report no clearly accountable owner. More than two-thirds have not issued a request for proposals for a centralized coordination system.

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / October 7, 2026 / As AI adoption explodes, enterprises are stumbling in their efforts to demonstrate a material return on investment, according to a new report from WSJ Intelligence and Code and Theory, a Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) agency.

Enterprises now have an average of 183 AI tools. Yet the vast majority (85%) don't have the systems to connect their tech, despite 94% of respondents saying that better orchestration of tools is essential to growth.

These are the key findings from a new study of 801 C-suite executives at U.S. companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue. The results point to what the report defines as "the orchestration gap," a widening distance between deploying AI and operating as a connected, agentic enterprise.

While 85% of the C-suite say AI must now deliver measurable ROI, the opposite appears to be occurring. Three in five executives say tool proliferation has left strategic execution stagnant. And two-thirds of organizations routinely uncover redundant AI investments.

As the report points out, a lack of clear ownership at the top is core to the issue. Nearly half (42%) of CEOs believe they own AI orchestration. Meanwhile, 57% of technology leaders believe the same, and one in four companies admit that no one is clearly accountable.

Executives say that the barriers to orchestration are cultural and structural rather than technical. The main culprits are siloed mindsets and corporate culture (61%), fragmented data and incompatible data models (58%), the absence of a centralized operating layer (56%), skill set gaps (38%) and budget (29%).

Other notable takeaways include:

• Only 15% of AI investments currently operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organization.
• Yet more than two-thirds of companies have not issued an RFP for a centralized orchestration system.
• 78% of executives report that customer-facing channels lack a unified data model and brand architecture.
• 18% apply the same governance and accountability standards to AI agents that they apply to human leaders.

Dan Gardner, Co-Founder of Code and Theory, says: "What business leaders are experiencing now feels very different from the early promise of AI. AI hasn't proven it can autonomously achieve value on its own. Businesses are struggling to connect the people, systems and data around it. What they are missing is an orchestration layer. Once that layer is in place, the opportunity expands from individual efficiency to unlocking value across the entire business."

The full report, "The Orchestration Gap: Why AI Investment Isn't Driving Enterprise Performance," is available at codeandtheory.com/orchestrationgap.

About Code and Theory
Code and Theory is the digital transformation agency where the C-suite comes together to create change. Our differentiated balance of 50% creatives and 50% engineers at scale allows us to bring strategy, creativity and technology together in one integrated offering. This enables our clients to gain competitive advantages in how they operate, market and serve their customers. Code and Theory is Stagwell's (STGW) digital transformation network, which includes its flagship agency, Code and Theory, along with Create. Group, Current, Instrument, Kettle, Left Field Labs and Truelogic. Code and Theory is the most decorated agency of the past three years, with 20 top agency honors, including Ad Age, Adweek and Fast Company. Our clients include Amazon, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, NBC and the NFL. For more, visit codeandtheory.com.

About WSJ Intelligence

WSJ Intelligence conducts best-in-class bespoke thought leadership for commercial clients of The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Mansion Global & Investor's Business Daily. Using various qualitative and quantitative methodologies and rigorous analysis, WSJ Intelligence collaborates with clients to create compelling and clear executive-level narratives and uses our world-class brands as distribution channels. WSJ Intelligence is a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.

Media Contact

Kenneth Hein
kenneth.hein@codeandtheory.com

SOURCE: Stagwell

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did the Code and Theory and WSJ Intelligence study find about disconnected AI tools?

85% of surveyed C-suite executives say their organizations lack systems to connect their AI technology. Enterprises average 183 AI tools, but only 15% of AI investments operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organization.

What barriers to AI coordination did executives identify in the Code and Theory study?

Siloed mindsets and corporate culture were cited by 61% of executives. Other barriers were fragmented data and incompatible data models at 58%, the absence of a centralized operating layer at 56%, skill set gaps at 38%, and budget at 29%.

How was The Wall Street Journal involved in the Code and Theory AI study?

The study involved WSJ Intelligence, a unit of The Wall Street Journal advertising department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in creating the content.