Survey results released in OneTrust’s 2026 AI-Ready Governance Report shows that employees are adopting AI tools more rapidly than company AI governance programs can keep up.
Although organizations indicated they were adopting governance programs to address the use of AI in their organizations, “Some organizations know agents are being used in parts of the business without consistent oversight. Others lack visibility into where and how agents are used.”
Consistent with other research “nearly half of respondents reported at least one incident during the past year in which AI systems or agents took unapproved actions.”
The message of the survey is that you are not alone in the journey to adopt an AI governance program for your organization. Concentrating on risk classification, understanding how employees are using AI, and developing a culture of safety and security while grappling with the rapid adoption of AI will help mitigate risk. The most important thing is to keep tackling it, and don’t get overwhelmed and give up. It is an ongoing, iterative process that will need regular assessment and fine tuning, so dig in and assemble a team committed to working on it for the long term.