The CEO signs off on AI purchases more than any other seat: 44 percent of operator answers in Open Future Forum's August 2026 data name the CEO, with the CFO or finance second at 33 percent and rising (base 115). Investors agree from across their portfolios, naming the CEO at 51 percent of 245 responses.
The more interesting movement is underneath. Business-unit sign-off halved inside July, from 18 percent to 8 percent, while "no single owner yet" doubled to 14 percent. Companies are pulling AI purchasing out of departments faster than they are deciding where it lands. And the answer depends on who you ask: 84 percent of CEO respondents name the CEO, 61 percent of finance respondents name the CFO, and technology respondents name the CIO or CTO first, a pattern the research names the Self-Attribution Effect. Seat bases and directional flags are in the report.
Full data, bases, and methodology: CEO AI Leverage Report, August 2026 and CFO AI Leverage Report, August 2026.
The executives behind these numbers compare notes at Open Future Forum's role-specific peer groups. Inquire about membership.