AI tool sprawl leaves US executives facing orchestration gap

Research from Code and Theory and WSJ Intelligence shows that 85% of C-suite executives say their AI technology stacks are disconnected. The study surveyed 801 senior executives at US companies with annual revenue of at least USD $500 million.

The findings suggest many large businesses are struggling to turn heavy investment in artificial intelligence into measurable returns. Companies use an average of 183 AI tools, the research found, yet most lack the systems needed to connect them, even though 94% of respondents say better orchestration is essential to growth.

The report describes this as an orchestration gap between adopting AI tools and operating as a connected enterprise. It also suggests senior management increasingly expects AI projects to produce financial results, with 85% of respondents saying AI must now deliver a measurable return on investment.

At the same time, many executives said the spread of AI software has created new problems inside organisations. Three in five said tool proliferation had left strategic execution stagnant, while two-thirds said their organisations regularly uncover redundant AI investments.

Ownership issues

The research also points to uncertainty over who is responsible for connecting AI systems across the business. It found that 42% of Chief Executive Officers believe they own AI orchestration, while 57% of technology leaders say the same. One in four companies said no one is clearly accountable.

The split suggests governance remains unsettled as companies move from experimentation to broader deployment. The study also found that only 18% of organisations apply the same governance and accountability standards to AI agents as they do to human leaders.

Structural barriers

Executives said the biggest obstacles were organisational rather than technical. Siloed mindsets and corporate culture were cited by 61%, followed by fragmented data and incompatible data models at 58%, the absence of a centralised operating layer at 56%, skill gaps at 38% and budget constraints at 29%.

Customer-facing operations also appear to be affected. The survey found that 78% of executives said customer channels lack a unified data model and brand architecture, indicating that fragmentation extends beyond internal systems into front-end operations.

According to the report, only 15% of AI investments currently operate as a unified system with shared intelligence across the organisation. More than two-thirds of companies have not issued a request for proposal for a centralised orchestration system, suggesting many have yet to formalise a response.

The study focused on executives at larger US companies, a group likely to have extensive software estates and multiple AI projects running in parallel. The average of 183 AI tools underlines how quickly businesses have added products and services as generative AI and related systems have spread across departments.

For companies trying to assess performance, the report adds to broader concerns that AI adoption has outpaced management structures, budgeting discipline and data integration. As more boards and executive teams ask for evidence of returns, the focus appears to be shifting from acquiring tools to connecting them.

Dan Gardner, Co-Founder of Code and Theory, said: "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."