STAMFORD, Conn. — Gartner, Inc. released its 2026 CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey today, April 23, 2026, revealing that 80% of chief executive officers anticipate that artificial intelligence will necessitate significant overhauls of their organizations' operational capabilities. The findings indicate a fundamental shift in corporate strategy, moving from the previous era of digital business toward what Gartner defines as autonomous business.
The survey, which included responses from 469 CEOs and senior business executives worldwide, was conducted over three quarters ending in late 2025. According to the report, the transition to autonomous business involves the deployment of self-learning software agents and machine customers capable of making independent decisions and executing actions. Don Scheibenreif, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, stated that while digital business focuses on changing what an organization does, autonomous business fundamentally changes how the organization operates.
Current data shows that 54% of CEOs describe their current automation as limited to specific, isolated tasks. However, the survey suggests a rapid acceleration in adoption, with only 13% of leaders expecting to remain at that limited level by the end of 2028. Instead, 32% of respondents plan to implement self-learning AI tools to assist in human decision-making, while 27% expect their organizations to operate primarily without human intervention within autonomous business ecosystems.
The report also highlighted significant risks to traditional profit models. Approximately 28% of CEOs identified transactional revenue as the area most vulnerable to AI disruption. This risk stems from AI agents' ability to bypass existing intermediated systems and conduct real-time negotiations and pricing, potentially eliminating the need for traditional transaction fees. David Furlonger, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, noted that AI is acting as a catalyst for rebuilding the enterprise rather than serving as a simple layer of automation.
Furthermore, Gartner predicts that by the end of 2026, the number of large companies maintaining dedicated business units or sales channels for machine customer markets will double compared to 2024 levels. This shift requires a capabilities-first mindset, according to the analysts, necessitating a reengineering of financial structures, assets, and human roles. The survey concluded that to remain competitive, CEOs must lead their organizations in rebuilding operational foundations to support both human and machine decision-makers, emphasizing data integrity and trust as core requirements for the autonomous era.