TLDR: Recent surveys indicate that a significant lack of robust AI governance policies and adequate training is impeding the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence across businesses, particularly in Australia. Companies are struggling with data quality, regulatory compliance, and the rapid pace of technological change, leading to a disconnect between AI ambition and operational readiness.
New findings from recent surveys highlight a critical barrier to the broader integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the corporate landscape: a pervasive lack of strong AI governance and comprehensive training policies. A global survey conducted by Workiva revealed that a substantial 60 percent of Australian companies are deficient in high-quality data, AI governance policies, and role-specific AI policies. This deficiency is believed to be a key factor behind Australia’s lower AI adoption rate, with only 62 percent of corporate reporting professionals utilizing AI daily, compared to a global average of 74 percent. Narain Viswanathan, ANZ area director at Workiva, emphasized that improved governance and targeted resources could unlock significant productivity benefits from AI, especially as businesses grapple with time constraints.
Further reinforcing these concerns, the 2025 AI Governance Survey by Pacific AI, conducted in April and May by Gradient Flow, exposed critical gaps between AI ambition and operational readiness. This survey found that while 75% of respondents reported having AI usage policies, only 59% had dedicated governance roles, and a mere 54% maintained incident response playbooks for AI-specific risks. Less than half (48%) of organizations are actively monitoring their AI systems for accuracy, misuse, or drift, with these numbers dropping significantly for smaller firms.
David Talby, CEO of Pacific AI, stated, “This survey exposes a growing disconnect between AI policy and practice. Organizations that don’t address it are playing with fire and they know it.” He further warned that “Without responsible AI practices baked into the entire AI development lifecycle, developers and thereby the organizations they work for are escalating legal, financial, and reputational risks.”
The pressure to achieve rapid market entry is cited as the primary obstacle to effective governance, with nearly half (45%) of all respondents, and 56% of technical leaders, identifying speed-to-market as their top challenge. This often leads to shortcuts that compromise safety and responsible deployment. The Pacific AI survey also highlighted vulnerabilities in smaller companies, which consistently lag in governance maturity; only 36% have governance officers compared to 62-64% in larger firms, and just 41% provide annual AI training versus 59-79% in larger counterparts. Additionally, regulatory awareness, particularly concerning frameworks like NIST AI RMF, remains concentrated in large enterprises, exposing smaller companies to compliance risks.
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Both surveys underscore the urgent need for organizations to prioritize robust internal processes, data management, and comprehensive governance frameworks to accelerate AI uptake and mitigate associated risks. Practitioners who reported confidence in their organizations’ AI capabilities were more likely to have established AI governance policies (31 percent vs 19 percent) and high-quality data (41 percent vs 16 percent), demonstrating a clear correlation between strong governance and successful AI integration.
