AI agents and executive decisions

Directors keep hearing that AI can make decisions at the top of a company. The idea turns up in headlines, in sales pitches and in board meetings. An AI agent here means software that takes a series of steps towards a goal. Below is what companies have said, what researchers have tested, what UK law asks of directors and how people in the UK feel about it.

What one company said

On 27 September 2022 the rum maker Dictador announced that it had hired a human-like robot called Mika as its chief executive. Its press release said Mika would be a board member. It gave her a narrow remit, the company's Arthouse Spirits DAO project and communication with that project's community.

With any announcement like this, the company's own statement says what the software was given to do.

What researchers have tested

In April 2026 a team put AI agents in charge of a simulated start-up for one year. They tested 12 models, three runs each. Only three models consistently ended with more than the starting capital of $200,000. Failing to spot clients who were working against the company caused 47% of the bankruptcies.

A study from June 2026 gave five leading models 13 business scenarios. In each one, four simulated advisers on finance, technology, operations and marketing gave conflicting advice. Every model produced a workable plan, but they differed sharply in judgement. The models that engaged more with the conflicting views tended to act less decisively.

A third study ran a simulated lending firm over 132 months, with 23 models. Only 15.4% of its trials lasted the full period. All three studies are preprints on arXiv, the open research archive, and all three test businesses that exist only in a simulation.

Who answers for the decision

Section 155 of the Companies Act 2006 says a company must have at least one director who is a natural person, which in law means a human being. Section 174 says a director must exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence.

Section 172 says a director must act in the way they consider, in good faith, most likely to promote the success of the company. In doing that they must have regard to the likely long-term consequences of a decision, the interests of employees and the company's reputation for high standards of business conduct, among other things.

Companies House says a director can hire a professional, such as an accountant, to help run the company. The director stays legally responsible for the company's records, accounts and performance.

How people in the UK feel about AI

The government's tracker survey of public attitudes to data and AI was published on 16 December 2024. Its fieldwork ran in July and August 2024, with 4,947 adults online. Asked for one word to describe how they feel about AI, people most often said "scary" (444 people), then "worried" (289), "unsure" (159) and "concerned" (151).

Around four in ten expected AI to have a positive impact on society and on themselves. About three in ten expected a negative one. Younger people chose more positive words than older people.

Questions a board can ask

The points listed in section 172 give a board a starting point for any software that proposes a decision.

Listed companies in the commercial companies category also follow the Financial Reporting Council's UK Corporate Governance Code 2024. It has applied since 1 January 2025.

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