London: A third of global technology leaders believe their boards have unrealistic expectations or demands on how new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) will impact business performance, posing a serious hurdle to AI implementation globally.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, amid the volatile economic backdrop, confidence in AI remains high, with 87 percent of business leaders believing AI will play a critical role in fulfilling business priorities in the next 12 months, according to a statement. Commissioned by Expereo, the IDC InfoBrief titled ‘Enterprise Horizons 2025: Technology Leaders Priorities: Achieving Digital Agility’ revealed AI is meeting or exceeding expectations for most organizations, with just 12 percent reporting underperformance. Leaders especially see promise in AI improving customer experiences and reducing costs, each cited by 66 percent of respondents.

However, unrealistic board expectations could throw organizations’ AI plans into chaos, as 28 percent of tech executives say expectations within their organization of what AI can do are growing faster than their ability to meet them. The study, which surveyed 650 technology leaders in global organizations across Europe, the United States, and Asia Pacific, found that 34 percent have had to reevaluate their tech infrastructure due to rising geopolitical risks, and 37 percent say such disruptions are impacting their company’s growth plans.

Yet, infrastructure remains a major barrier, with a majority of respondents (52 percent) saying their current network and connectivity systems are not ready to support AI initiatives. Additionally, 45 percent report that poor network performance is hindering large-scale AI or data projects, a rise from 38 percent in 2024. Beyond technical hurdles, ethical concerns (42 percent), employee resistance (35 percent), and the struggle to keep pace with change (34 percent) are also slowing AI adoption. Another 29 percent cite lack of capabilities from current tech partners as a major obstacle.

Still, AI is elevating the role of tech leaders, with 79 percent saying their visibility at the board level has increased due to the AI focus, up from 60 percent last year.