The most important IT hire for CIOs in 2026 may not be human

AI agent sprawl is emerging as a governance challenge for CIOs in 2026, and the article describes AI agent supervisors and cross‑functional centers of excellence as tools for continuous visibility, compliance monitoring and audit-ready records.

AI agent sprawl is appearing as a new governance challenge for chief information officers in 2026. Organizations are rapidly adopting AI agents in areas such as marketing, finance and human resources. That growth echoes past shadow IT problems that created security and compliance blind spots. The speed and autonomy of agents raise specific visibility and liability concerns. Key facts: - AI agent sprawl is likened to shadow IT and can create data security, integration and redundancy risks. - Unmanaged agents can increase legal and liability exposure because their outputs may be treated as corporate actions. - The article identifies brand fragmentation, data governance gaps, technical debt and regulatory uncertainty as additional risks. - AI agent supervisors are described as tools that can provide real-time inventory, compliance monitoring, brand oversight, reporting and access control. - The piece also notes the value of a cross-functional AI agent center of excellence and a shifting CIO role toward overseeing human–AI collaboration. Summary: AI agent sprawl could prompt changes in IT governance that emphasize continuous visibility and automated monitoring. The article describes AI agent supervisors and cross‑functional centers of excellence as mechanisms to help maintain oversight. How widely those approaches will be adopted and how regulation will evolve is undetermined at this time.