Global survey of 3,400+ digital trust professionals reveals gaps in policy, incident response and training
Schaumburg, IL, USA—While 90 percent believe employees are using artificial intelligence in their organization, only 22 percent say AI return on investment (ROI) has met or exceeded their expectations, according to ISACA’s 2026 AI Pulse Poll, released today at the ISACA North America Conference. The global poll examines trends in AI use, policies and standards, workforce impact, incident response readiness and security across the digital trust profession.
With responses from more than 3,400 digital trust professionals across IT audit, governance, cybersecurity, privacy and emerging technology roles, ISACA’s poll finds that AI has become embedded in day-to-day work; however, governance and operational readiness continue to lag.
While AI policies are becoming more commonplace, only 38 percent of organizations have a formal, comprehensive AI policy—up from 28 percent in 2025. Thirty percent say they have a limited policy in place, and a quarter (25 percent) have no active policy.
There also appears to be some uncertainty around the ROI for AI:
- 23 percent say they believe it is too early to tell the ROI
- 22 percent say they do not know the ROI
- 20 percent cite limited ROI so far.
- Only 22 percent indicate AI ROI has met or exceeded their expectations.
“There's enormous pressure on organizations to show that AI is paying off, but the pulse poll reveals a more honest picture: most organizations aren’t yet sure whether it has,” says Keith Bloomfield-DeWeese, Senior Manager of AI Product Development at ISACA. “That uncertainty isn’t a failure of AI, but a reflection of how hard it is to build something that actually works at scale. The thing with ROI in AI is that it doesn’t arrive on schedule; it’s not a switch that can be flipped: it’s the result of sustained investment in the people, processes, and governance structures that make intelligent systems reliable. The organizations that resist the urge to declare victory too early are the ones most likely to get there.”
Increased use, demand for AI skills
The poll found that AI use has become expected and is embedded across the enterprise. Respondents indicate they are leveraging it most for:
- Increasing productivity (62 percent)
- Creating written content (62 percent)
- Automating repetitive tasks (50 percent)
- Analyzing large amounts of data (49 percent)
Most respondents note that AI literacy is vital, with 78 percent saying AI skills are very or extremely important to their profession, up from 72 percent last year. This high demand for AI skills on the job is also reflected by 33 percent saying that their organizations train all employees on AI, up from 22 percent in 2025.
And while 36 percent say their organization will increase AI-related jobs in the next 12 months, up from 31 percent in 2025, workloads do not appear to be decreasing due to AI. Nearly seven in 10 say job responsibilities have increased or have not changed in the last year.
Areas for improvement
The ability to counter unintended consequences from AI remains spotty, as over half (56 percent) do not know how long it would take to halt an AI system due to a security incident, while 39 percent say they do not know whether they have a documented process for shutting down or overriding AI systems if things go wrong.
Respondents are also concerned about AI risk, with 45 percent noting that AI risks are an immediate priority, and 38 percent saying they are confident in their board’s understanding of and action against AI risks. Respondents’ most-cited AI risks include:
- Misinformation and disinformation (82%)
- Privacy violations (74%)
- Social engineering (60%)
- Loss of intellectual property (58%)
- Job displacement (42%)
“With only 38 percent of practitioners confident in their board’s understanding of AI risks, the leadership deficit is as real as the technology one,” says Ulrika Dellrud, Chief Privacy and Data Ethics Officer, Smarter Contracts, and ISACA Emerging Trends Working Group member. “Effective AI governance also starts with mastering your data: without strong data and privacy governance as a foundation, organizations cannot manage AI risk, ensure trust, or unlock sustainable value. The path forward is clear: AI success will depend not just on innovation, but on disciplined governance, informed leadership and responsible data stewardship.”
Additionally, detection capability is improving, but trust remains fragile. Forty-one percent say they are confident in their own ability to detect AI‑powered misinformation, up from 30 percent in 2025. Meanwhile, only 36 percent are confident in their organization's ability to detect AI-powered misinformation.
Beyond practical, workplace implications, there are also bigger-picture, societal questions to consider. Seventy-seven percent also say that they consider the environmental concerns associated with using AI within their organization. And only 11 percent strongly agree that organizations are giving sufficient attention to ethical standards related to AI implementation.
AI Resources, Training
To meet the needs of digital trust professionals seeking the training, knowledge and best practices to keep pace in the age of AI, ISACA offers a range of AI courses and resources, as well as three new credentials: Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA), Advanced in AI Security Management (AAISM) and Advanced in AI Risk (AAIR).
Learn more and gain additional insights by accessing ISACA’s 2026 AI Pulse Poll and related resources at www.isaca.org/ai-pulse-poll.
About ISACA
ISACA® (www.isaca.org) champions the global workforce advancing trust in technology. For more than 55 years, ISACA has empowered its community of 195,000+ members with the knowledge, credentials, training and network they need to thrive in fields like information security, governance, assurance, risk management, data privacy and emerging tech. With a presence in more than 190 countries and with more than 230 chapters worldwide, ISACA offers resources tailored to every stage of members’ careers—helping them to thrive in a rapidly changing digital landscape, drive trusted innovation and ensure a more secure digital world. Through the ISACA Foundation, ISACA also expands IT and education career pathways, fostering opportunities to grow the next generation of technology professionals.
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