Managers are far from united on who should take the blame when artificial intelligence makes a serious error, according to new research from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings point to a growing accountability gap as businesses entrust AI with more consequential decisions.
The survey covered more than 1,000 business leaders, including managers, directors, executives, owners and founders. Roughly a quarter held the employee using the AI tool responsible, while another quarter pointed to that employee’s manager. A similar share placed the burden on the company’s risk team. About 10% blamed the AI vendor, and a comparable number were unsure.
Small Prompt Errors, Big Consequences
Experts say the more immediate danger lies in everyday slip-ups rather than rogue machines. Leeron Walter, a vice president at Teramind, told Bloomberg about a major US retailer whose bot, misled by faulty instructions, sent false refund and cancellation emails to over 18,000 customers in under six hours. In another case, a prompt error at a consumer electronics firm listed a flagship device at an 85% discount for three hours. More than 700 orders arrived, and customer service spent weeks dealing with the fallout.
Tech Giants Push AI Agents Further
The question is becoming urgent as major players release more capable agents. OpenAI recently introduced Dots, always-on agents that connect to more than 4,000 apps and keep working between user check-ins. Google has unveiled a Gemini agent for enterprise users that can plan and complete multistep work across company systems. Meta’s Muse personal agent has passed 2.5 million downloads in its first two weeks, according to Sensor Tower data.
Consumers are adopting the technology too. IBM research shows 41% use AI assistants to research products, and 31% use them to find deals.
As agents gain access to live tools and customer data, businesses may need to define clear ownership of AI outcomes before the next costly error occurs.