Enterprises are embracing artificial intelligence at unprecedented speed, but most are not prepared to govern it, leaving organizations increasingly exposed to compliance, security, and operational risk, according to the 2026 Enterprise AI Trends Study released today by Smarsh, the global leader in communications data and intelligence. Conducted by FTI Consulting, the study found that 55% of enterprises are actively deploying AI, yet only 26% say their governance frameworks are fully aligned with the pace of implementation.
55% of enterprises actively deploying AI.
Only 26% say governance frameworks are fully aligned with implementation.
Only 30% have capabilities to detect and manage shadow AI.
62% investing in AI and machine learning capabilities.
53% investing in data quality and enrichment.
51% modernizing their archives.
AI adoption is outpacing governance with shadow AI creating new enterprise blind spots. Organizations are deploying AI faster than they can establish the governance needed to manage risk and maintain compliance, while limited visibility into unauthorized AI use is making it harder to manage recordkeeping, supervision, privacy, and regulatory obligations. Communications data is becoming a competitive advantage as enterprises shift from treating it solely as a compliance requirement to leveraging it for AI, investigations, and business intelligence.
Goutam Nadella, Chief Strategy Officer at Smarsh, stated: "For decades, communications data was viewed primarily as something organizations needed to preserve for regulatory purposes. That era is ending. As AI becomes operational across the enterprise, organizations that can govern, protect, and activate their communications data will be best positioned to innovate responsibly, manage risk proactively, and unlock new business value."
James Condon, Managing Director, Americas Head of Insights at FTI Consulting Strategic Communications, added: "AI readiness is no longer just a technology challenge—it is fundamentally a data governance challenge. Organizations recognize the opportunity to use communications data more strategically, but many still face barriers around visibility, integration, data quality, and oversight. Closing those gaps will be essential for enterprises that want to scale AI with confidence."
The study identifies five trends: AI adoption outpacing governance with shadow AI creating blind spots; communications data becoming a competitive advantage; enterprise risk spanning interconnected systems including AI agents, APIs, and collaboration platforms; security and compliance becoming proactive with adaptive assurance models; and compliance evolving into a strategic business function helping shape AI strategy and technology investments.
As AI agents, collaboration platforms, APIs, third-party applications, and legacy systems become increasingly interconnected, organizations need governance models that provide visibility across data flows, workflows, and connected systems—not just individual endpoints. The report concludes that enterprises adopting this approach will be better positioned to innovate responsibly while strengthening compliance, resilience, and operational performance.
About Smarsh
Smarsh empowers organizations to move from reactive oversight to proactive foresight by unlocking intelligence within their digital communications. Through a cloud-native, AI-powered platform for capture, archiving, and oversight, Smarsh enables regulated enterprises to identify regulatory, reputational, and operational risks early. Trusted by a global client base including 18 of the top 20 banks across North America, Europe, and Asia.
About FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: FCN) is a leading global expert firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes. With more than 8,100 employees located in 32 countries and territories, the Company generated $3.8 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2025.
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