Middle managers want humans in security AI decisions

Middle managers are almost twice as likely as executives to want human involvement in security-sensitive AI decisions, according to a TeamViewer survey of 4,200 respondents across nine markets.

The gap emerged when workers were asked about AI resolving IT issues that could affect security, data or business operations. Some 46% of middle managers wanted a human involved, compared with 24% of executive leaders.

The findings point to a divide between those setting AI strategy and those closer to day-to-day operations. Security, privacy and risk concerns were the most commonly cited barrier to AI adoption among IT decision-makers, named by 45% of respondents.

Workers also grew more cautious as AI systems were given greater autonomy. Nearly a third, or 30%, said security risks or unauthorised access were among their biggest concerns about AI acting without a human in the loop.

That concern was more pronounced among managers than executives, cited by 33% of both middle and senior managers, compared with 23% of executive leaders.

Security controls

Respondents said access limits would improve confidence. Among senior managers, 42% said restricting what AI can access would make them more comfortable with autonomous problem-solving at work, compared with 37% of middle managers and 32% of executive leaders.

Strong security and privacy protections were also seen as important. Across all workers, 39% said such protections would make them more comfortable allowing AI to fix problems autonomously.

That rose to 46% among senior managers and 43% among middle managers, while 34% of executive leaders said the same. More than a third of respondents, or 36%, also wanted limits on what AI can access before allowing it to act independently.

Visibility into how systems operate was another recurring theme. Some 73% said they were more likely to trust AI when it shows what it is doing and why, while 70% were comfortable with AI taking action as long as they could step in when needed.

Jan Bee, Chief Information Security Officer at TeamViewer, said organisations should not treat security as an afterthought as AI systems take on more responsibility.

"Security cannot be added after autonomy is introduced. The more authority an AI system has, the more important it is that its actions are transparent and that clear boundaries define when human approval is required," said Jan Bee, Chief Information Security Officer at TeamViewer.

Bee added: "Business leaders should not assume that their own comfort with autonomy is shared across the organisation. That principle guides our AI features: actions are recorded, customers retain visibility, and system-altering actions require approval so that people remain in control."

Industry split

Attitudes varied sharply by sector. In energy, utilities, and oil and gas, 49% of workers wanted human involvement when AI resolves IT issues affecting security, data or business operations.

That compared with 28% in marketing, media, and communications, making it one of the widest industry gaps in the findings. The survey also showed regional differences across Asia-Pacific markets, including Japan, Singapore and Australia, in trust, transparency and comfort with autonomous action.

Even so, uncertainty over when to rely on AI remained widespread. Some 51% of workers said they do not always know when to trust AI and when to verify its output.

Accountability questions

The research also pointed to a lack of clarity over responsibility when autonomous systems make mistakes. Only 49% of respondents said accountability was clear in such cases.

Views on who should carry that responsibility were split. Some 26% placed it on IT, 25% on themselves, and 17% said no one should be responsible because it is a system.

The study was conducted by Sapio Research on behalf of TeamViewer among respondents in the US, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Brazil. It included managers and employees across industries and company sizes.

The figures suggest that while workers may accept more autonomous AI systems, many want tighter controls, clearer oversight and a more defined chain of responsibility before handing over decisions that affect security or business operations.