New Collibra Survey by The Harris Poll Finds 84% of Decision Makers Say Organizations Must Increase AI Spending in 2026 to Remain Competitive with Big Tech, with Almost Half Saying AI is Falling Short

More Than 90% Agree that Companies Should be Required to Disclose Use of AI Agents

64% Cite "Red Flags" When Prospective Employees Can't Demonstrate Familiarity with AI Tools

NEW YORK and BRUSSELS, March 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Collibra, the leader in unified governance for data and AI, today announced findings from a Harris Poll survey of more than 300 U.S. technology decision makers and found that over eight in ten (84%) believe organizations must increase their AI spending over the next 12 months to remain competitive with Big Tech. The survey also found that 88% believe most organizations are still not using AI to its full potential, with another 93% agreeing that companies should be required to disclose their use of AI tools and agents to encourage transparency, monitoring and responsible use.

"Our latest survey shows a decisive shift from experimentation to a demand for rigorous, transparent standards," said Felix Van de Maele, Co-founder and CEO of Collibra. "The results send a clear message that the industry is expecting a level of accountability that matches the speed of the AI."

The survey also found that a significant portion of decision-makers (40%) identified concerns around data privacy, security or regulatory compliance as reasons limiting AI adoption. Also, our survey identified a 'trust gap' among many executives, with 55% of decision-makers reporting that they sometimes encounter AI issues that require them to personally push back or correct the output. Furthermore, nearly nine in ten (90%) agree that organizations cannot have full confidence in AI-driven insights until the underlying data is fully verified through a formal governance framework.

Notably, the survey identified that an overwhelming majority of respondents welcome federal oversight. Nine in ten (90%) of decision-makers support federal requirements for companies to disclose and document high-risk AI systems, 89% seek legislation that protects media publishers from AI companies that use their content without permissions or agreed compensation and 87% seek a national cybersecurity strategy that advances "American AI" and advocates for international governance approaches.

When asked about the preference for a national framework to regulate AI, 90% of decision-makers agreed, with more than 70% describing such a framework as very important or absolutely essential. The survey also found that 91% of decision-makers believe that human oversight for AI systems is critical with oversight in high impact industries such as healthcare and finance absolutely essential (84%).

The survey also points to a shift in the talent market where technical literacy is being redefined as a prerequisite for governance. Currently, 64% of decision-makers consider it a "red flag" from a hiring perspective if a prospective employee cannot demonstrate familiarity with AI tools in an interview. This challenge is compounded by the fact that 30% believe that organizations find it difficult to hire employees who possess the right mix of AI skills, domain expertise and curiosity.

"Data and AI literacy are no longer optional but rather core capabilities for any organization that wants to turn AI ambition into real impact. Without it, AI leaders and AI producers struggle to become truly risk aware and to understand the value and risks associated with AI systems," added Van de Maele.

For more information and resources on Collibra's product offerings, please visit collibra.com.

Research Method

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Collibra from February 17 to 24, 2026, among 313 U.S. adults aged 21+ who are employed full time as data management, privacy, and/or Artificial Intelligence (AI) decision makers (director level or higher) at their current company. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the full sample data is accurate to within +/- 5.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

About Collibra
Collibra helps our customers accelerate data and AI use cases — without the risk. Our powerful, unified platform brings flexible governance and continuous quality with automated visibility, control and traceability to the world's leading brands. Collibra unifies governance for data and AI for every user, every use case and across every source so that everyone in the organization can trust, comply and consume their data at scale. This is Data Confidence™. To learn more, visit collibra.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Collibra