AI use surges in global mobility, but governance lags

Four-fifths of organisations surveyed are using artificial intelligence in some form to manage global mobility programmes, according to ECA. The finding comes from a survey of 302 mobility professionals worldwide.

The results show a sharp rise in use over two years, from roughly one in five organisations to 79%. Much of that adoption remains informal: 61% of organisations use AI at an individual level for everyday tasks, while only 6% have built it into structured mobility workflows.

That gap between use and oversight is a central theme in the survey. ECA found that 61% of organisations have formal policies on AI use, but about one in 10 have no governance at all.

Less than half, or 49%, have a full AI use policy in place and monitor compliance. More than a third rely on informal guidance or have no policy, leaving room for employees to use tools such as large language models without formal oversight or clear data protection controls.

Governance gap

The findings suggest AI has spread quickly through global mobility teams even as internal controls remain uneven. In practice, that means the technology is often used to save time on routine work before employers have established systems to check accuracy, compliance and audit trails.

Tom Harvey, director of AI and data transformation at ECA, addressed that concern directly.

Harvey said: "The speed of AI adoption across global mobility has been rapid, but speed without structure creates risk. Too often, we are seeing organisations use AI informally to work faster without having the frameworks in place to ensure that work is accurate, compliant and auditable. It is concerning that AI tools, including LLMs, are being used inconsistently, with varying levels of oversight, validation and data protection control. At ECA, we are embedding AI enhancements across our platform while ensuring responsible adoption remains as important as innovation itself."

The survey also examined wider technology investment in mobility functions and found that budget pressure remains the main constraint. Broader digital transformation is moving slowly, with IT budget limits cited most often as the reason.

Other barriers include governance issues, concerns over data quality, skills gaps, trust and the maturity of existing platforms. Half of organisations still do not use a dedicated mobility platform, while 43% are making incremental investments because budgets are limited rather than because demand is absent.

Budget pressure

Spreadsheets remain widely used in programmes dealing with complex compliance obligations across multiple jurisdictions. That reliance suggests many teams are still managing international assignments and related processes with basic tools even as AI use grows.

Oliver Browne, head of content and insights at ECA, said the budget picture is shaping the type of technology organisations choose.

Browne said: "Limited budgets are restricting investment in all kinds of mobility technology. As a result, organisations are turning to lower-cost solutions, such as standalone AI tools, in the short term. That said, many recognise the benefits of enhanced mobility technology, including improved productivity, greater data oversight and stronger strategic capabilities. In the current climate, this is why businesses are making incremental technology improvements where budgets allow, laying the foundations for future transformation."

The survey covered AI adoption alongside compliance tracking, employee experience, diversity in mobility and expectations for programme growth. The snapshot of current practice indicates that AI use in global mobility has advanced quickly, but formal governance, monitored policy compliance and broader systems investment have not kept pace.

One of the clearest findings is the contrast between the scale of AI uptake and the limited number of organisations that have integrated it into formal workflows: 79% are using AI in some form, but only 6% have embedded it in structured global mobility processes.