Business leaders in Sweden consider their organizations to be at the forefront of AI adoption, yet many lack adequate governance and risk management. A new global survey from EY about responsible AI—also comparing executive views with public sentiment—reveals this gap. Although 40 percent of business leaders report fully integrated AI solutions, half believe their current risk-management practices are insufficient for future challenges. At the same time, nearly eight in ten executives think their views align with the public’s—despite clear evidence to the contrary.
Swedish executives stand out and view AI differently than the general public. The survey shows 40 percent of Swedish business leaders believe their organizations already have fully integrated and implemented AI solutions, well above the Nordic average of 26 percent. This is part of EY’s latest mapping of how companies perceive and integrate responsible AI into business models, decision-making and strategy. The study gathered responses from 975 senior leaders across 21 countries, including 120 from the Nordics; some answers are compared with a prior survey of 1,002 Swedish respondents.
Swedish leadership teams generally believe they have controls in place to manage AI risks: 75 percent state they have strong or fairly strong control mechanisms for AI-related risks, slightly above the Nordic average. Still, 43 percent of Swedish executives see building AI governance as a challenge, and 50 percent agree their organization’s current risk-management capabilities are inadequate for future AI challenges. Despite this, Swedish executives remain optimistic about AI and generally express low levels of concern about its risks.
Executives and the public see AI differently—especially in Sweden
Nearly eight in ten (77 percent) Swedish executives believe their view of AI aligns with the public’s. Yet EY’s earlier 2025 public survey shows citizens are notably more worried about the risks and negative impacts of the technology. The top concern among Swedes is disinformation: 78 percent worry AI will be used to create and spread false information, compared with only 23 percent of business leaders.
For Swedish executives, the primary worry is losing control over AI: 53 percent cite this concern. Here there is greater alignment with the public, where 65 percent share the same worry. Data leak risks also concern both groups—60 percent of the public and 37 percent of executives. But differences are stark in other areas: 52 percent of the public fear organizations will not be held accountable for negative AI outcomes, while only 13 percent of Swedish executives express that worry.
“Our analysis shows that many executive teams have a distorted perception of AI. They tend to overestimate progress and underestimate risks. This is ultimately a trust issue: leaders believe consumers—and perhaps employees—hold a more positive view of AI than is actually the case. AI should be a central item on the executive agenda, but it is equally important to bring in diverse perspectives. To address public concerns, executives must actively listen, act and communicate,” says Ylva Bergström, partner in Risk Transformation at EY.
CEOs in Sweden express greater concern about AI risks
CEOs stand out within leadership ranks as those most aligned with the public’s worries about AI. They report higher levels of concern about AI-related risks, greater uncertainty about how AI system decisions can be explained, and heightened worries about AI’s environmental impact. At the same time, CEOs are least confident that their organizations have adequate methods to manage AI risks. The report also finds Nordic CEOs to be more concerned than peers in other regions, while being less prepared in terms of control, governance and mechanisms for accountability related to AI.
Regarding the CEO’s influence on corporate strategy for new technologies, 47 percent of Swedish CEOs in the survey say they hold overall responsibility for AI matters within their organization.
“CEOs often have a more realistic view of AI risks than the rest of the leadership team, which is positive. But other research this year shows only a quarter of Nordic CEOs have influence over strategic decisions about new technology and AI. Many lack the tools and structures to act on their concerns. That is a problem, especially because AI is strategic and must be driven from the top. CEOs need to both understand the risks and actively help build robust, ethical and secure AI solutions,” says Charlotta Kvarnström, partner and advisor for the technology, media and telecommunications sector at EY.
Swedish companies invest more in AI skills
The survey highlights Sweden’s commitment to developing AI competence. Some 77 percent of Swedish companies in the study invest in AI training, compared with 61 percent in the Nordics and 53 percent globally. Swedish firms also prioritize creating internal AI councils and ethics committees as part of their governance models. “Succeeding with AI requires a structured approach to identifying and managing risk. That helps prioritize the right activities in a complex AI environment and ensures initiatives deliver value without exposing the organization to undue risk. Use existing frameworks and focus on upskilling both technical and non-technical staff in ethical AI use and risk awareness. It is encouraging to see more Swedish companies taking these steps,” says Ylva Bergström.