Executives are increasingly turning to AI as a sounding board, as 60% rely on AI to inform key decisions, according to a report from Confluent which surveyed 200 private sector leaders. 

As business landscapes become more complex, executives are increasingly relying on AI to support decision-making, with 62% now using it for most decisions and 27% using it for key personnel decisions. 

AI offers faster analysis, reduces stress for 83% of leaders, and can act as a data-driven sounding board. 

However, it has its limitations. It relies on the input of quality and full data, lacks access to company context and can erode even experienced leaders’ confidence. 

When speed is of the essence, AI can be an appealing option. 59% of executives believe that the mainstream use of AI in their companies has driven an increase in expectations for fast and decisive responses. 

But this speed may come at the cost of collaboration, as nearly half (46%) of survey respondents say they would rely on AI advice over that of their colleagues.

Bridging the Gap Between Gut Instinct & AI

Confluent reported that 83% of executives feel “less stressed when AI backs them up.” 

However, the drawback of this is a gradual deterioration of confidence and objective decision-making, with 70% second-guessing their own judgement if it conflicts with suggestions from AI tools. 

Leaders are already seeing the impact of overuse of AI, as 65% feel they have become less collaborative with their peers for decision-making and their confidence erodes. 

“The irony is the more they lean on AI, the more they doubt the very instincts that helped them rise to the top” researchers at Confluent found.

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The pressure to act fast can also result in poor decisions and regret. 75% of leaders have regret about decisions that have been made too quickly, however the opposite is also true: 71% of respondents say they have regretted acting too slowly and missing opportunities. 

Over 60% of leaders suggested data may be the key to bridging the gap between gut instinct and AI. However this is also where the challenge lies: 60% say data is too difficult to access, 62% of respondents say there often isn’t time to analyse all the available data and 71% say their data is often out of date.

Whilst data is an essential tool for senior decision-making, leaders often feel unearthing the right data in a timely manner can be impractical given the many demands of their jobs. 63% of business leaders feel they don’t have enough access to real-time data and 61% think real-time data streaming will be essential to decision-making over the next 12 months.

Richard Jones, VP North EMEA at Confluent surmised, “neither instinct nor AI can carry the boardroom alone. Real-time data remains the voice that every leader must hear.”