The AI Leaders Council’s 2026 Corporate AI Outlook Study highlights not only where AI is being used, but how organizations are funding initiatives and managing risk as adoption expands. For COOs, these trends provide important signals about operational readiness and execution expectations.

Understanding where investment is flowing and which risks leaders are prioritizing can help operations executives better align AI initiatives with performance and governance goals.

AI investment is shifting toward operational foundations

Survey results show that organizations are directing AI-related investment toward training, data platforms, cloud infrastructure, and adoption support. These areas directly affect operational performance.

Rather than focusing solely on new AI applications, organizations are strengthening the foundations required to support scale. This includes improving data accessibility, standardizing platforms, and ensuring teams are equipped to integrate AI into daily workflows.

For COOs, this shift reinforces the importance of operational readiness. AI value depends on stable processes, consistent data, and workforce engagement.

AI adoption risk is an operational concern

Among the top risks identified in the study beyond data privacy are employee adoption challenges, skills shortages, and change management issues. These risks often surface most clearly within operations teams, where AI adoption directly affects how work is performed.

When teams are not prepared for change, even well-designed AI initiatives can stall. COOs play a central role in managing this transition by aligning communication, training, and performance expectations with new tools and workflows.

Accountability is increasing as AI scales

As AI budgets grow and adoption expands, organizations are placing greater emphasis on measurable outcomes. This includes productivity improvements, cost efficiency, service levels, and operational resilience.

COOs are increasingly expected to demonstrate how AI contributes to operational performance. Integrating AI metrics into existing performance dashboards and review processes helps ensure that value remains visible and actionable.

Aligning AI with operational strategy

The survey findings suggest that AI is becoming part of core operational planning rather than a separate innovation track. For operations leaders, this creates an opportunity to embed AI into continuous improvement initiatives and long-term performance strategies.

The 2026 Corporate AI Outlook Study from the AI Leaders Council provides detailed insights into how organizations are funding AI, managing risk, and aligning adoption with execution priorities. Download the full report to see how operations leaders are positioning AI for sustainable performance in 2026.