New research has said  companies’ efforts to embed artificial intelligence into their businesses is facing a significant hurdle and it is coming from the very top of the board room.

Recruitment specialists La Fosse have issued a new study which found that as UK businesses race to adopt AI in the workplace their efforts are being put at risk by their own senior leadership.

The company surveyed more than 2,000 UK tech workers and finds that the riskiest users of AI are the very executives responsible for governance – combining high usage, weak oversight, and a willingness to override expertise.

It added senior leaders hold the most decision-making power – but not always the AI expertise.

Commenting on the report’s finding La Fosse CEO Ollie Whiting, said: “The people with the greatest autonomy over AI are also the ones most exposed to its risks. Concentrated at the top of organisations, this risk is often hidden behind confidence and speed, while gaps in governance, skills, and accountability widen beneath the surface. Organisations must ensure leaders have the right expertise before these decisions cause real business impact”

The research explained more than half (52%) of all tech workers report that AI decisions have been made without the right expertise – and this isn’t just frontline cynicism. 65% of C-suite executives acknowledge that such decisions occur at the most senior level.

And the executives responsible for AI governance are also the most likely to engage in high-risk behaviours.

Le Fosse added the survey uncovers a worrying pattern:

• 93% of C-level executives say they have made decisions based on AI outputs generated from inaccurate data
• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of C-suite executives admit to uploading confidential company data into AI tools – almost double the rate of entry-level staff* (42%) and far higher than intermediate-level employees (35%). Directors are slightly higher at 74%
• 78% of C-suite executives rely on AI for work they are not trained to do, compared with fewer than half of junior and mid-level staff

“These high-stakes decisions carry tangible consequences: 40% of C-suite executives report serious business impacts from AI errors, compared with 32% of entry-level staff* and just 11% of intermediate employees,” the study cautioned.

The research found a clear trend: greater responsibility, autonomy, and time pressure at senior levels translates into greater exposure to AI risk. C-suite executives and directors use AI more intensively, for higher-stakes decisions, and operate with less oversight than their teams.

Interestingly, entry-level staff – while less likely to engage in risky AI behaviours – report higher rates of serious business impact (32%) than middle management (17%) or intermediate staff (11%). When errors happen at the front line, consequences can still be severe.

While seven in ten (70%) C-suite executives describe themselves as ‘very confident’ in their AI expertise, that confidence is not widely shared across the workforce:

• Directors: 48% very confident in C-suite AI capability
• Senior management: 50% very confident
• Middle management: 36% very confident
• Entry-level staff: 33% very confident
• Intermediate staff: 27% very confident

Yet, despite this self-assurance, 65% of C-suite executives admit AI decisions are still made without the right expertise, and 80% say a dedicated AI specialist is needed at board level. Leaders are simultaneously confident in their own ability and aware of gaps that require specialist support.

“The disconnect between confidence and competence is undermining trust and adoption of AI across organisations,” explained Whiting.  “When employees don’t believe leadership understands AI, they are less likely to embrace AI initiatives, flag problems early, or trust AI-driven decisions being made at a high level. Boards can no longer assume seniority equates to capability – governance, expertise, and scrutiny are essential.”

The study added unchecked overconfidence at the top is putting organisations at serious risk. Closing the awareness gap and leveraging AI for business transformation requires recognising that senior leaders such as C-level executives and directors may need additional support, while specialist expertise is also lacking across the broader workforce.

“Our survey also found that half (50%) of tech workers expect AI to lead to job losses at their company within three years, signalling a workforce bracing for disruption,” La Fosse said.

Whiting continued: “Even the most experienced experts are still learning about AI – and those in the C-suite scrutinising their own confidence, competence, and AI-related decision making thoroughly are going to win long-term. Organisations need to be willing to look beyond the headlines, confront uncomfortable realities, and take action before those risks compound.

“Our purpose at La Fosse is to deliver the future-proof technology talent organisations need to succeed. We work closely with leaders under pressure to move quickly and stay competitive, and understand the enormous opportunity AI presents.”

“We work with organisations to identify where AI decisions are being made using inaccurate data, at the wrong pace, or without the right expertise, and where teams need reskilling rather than redundancies, to ensure leaders have the capability they need before those decisions make real business impact.”

65% of C-suite executives admit AI decisions are still made without the right expertise, and 80% say a dedicated AI specialist is needed at board level. Leaders are simultaneously confident in their own ability and aware of gaps that require specialist support.