Complexity Is the Biggest Barrier to Enterprise AI
CIO, Monday, September 28th, 2026
A CIO who faced 1,500+ applications argues tech sprawl and debt, not models, are what block enterprise AI.
In a CIO.com column, Shannon Bell argues that enterprise AI ambition is outpacing execution because of complexity built into IT environments, not the technology itself, noting that after years of growth and acquisitions the author's organization had more than 1,500 applications to operate and secure across hybrid environments.
AI inherits that complexity and often exposes technical debt, and 68% of CIOs say debt from past integrations blocks scaling AI.
Bell recommends reducing the tech stack, building in human control and ensuring strong data quality and governance.