Dutch Companies Are Losing Their Grip on AI Data and Governance

Wednesday, 22 April 2026 at 21:58

Nederlandse bedrijven missen grip op AI-data en governance

Only 44 percent of organizations in the Netherlands have full visibility into where their data lives. That’s the key finding from new Red Hat research. Meanwhile, advanced AI systems are exploding in use, while governance and control lag far behind.

The numbers expose a clear gap between ambition and reality. Dutch organizations are investing in AI, but often lack basic control over data, infrastructure, and vendor relationships.

Why is AI sovereignty suddenly a top priority?

AI sovereignty means control over data, systems, and dependencies on technology partners. That control is critical as AI increasingly powers core business processes.

The research shows that:

58 percent of IT decision-makers have an AI exit strategy
37 percent expect major disruptions if they switch platforms
46 percent have only partial visibility into data locations

These figures suggest organizations are bracing for risk, but remain underprepared.

According to Marcel Timmer, AI platforms are rapidly becoming part of critical infrastructure. He argues that transparency and control are essential to prevent disruption.

Agentic AI is surging, but governance isn’t keeping up

Agentic AI is a form of artificial intelligence that executes tasks and makes decisions autonomously. It accelerates automation—but also amplifies risk.

The study finds:

88 percent of Dutch organizations use agentic AI
Only 30 percent have strong governance in place
24 percent have little to no governance

In short: many companies deploy AI without clear rules or oversight—fueling compliance, security, and reliability risks.

The gap between adoption and control is widening fast.

Where’s the biggest data problem?

The core issue is lack of visibility into data storage and data flows. That undermines control, compliance, and risk management.

Only 44 percent have full insight into:

Where data is stored
How data is processed
Who has access to that data

This lack of transparency leaves organizations exposed to:

Vendor lock-in
Data misuse
Regulatory trouble

As AI systems act more autonomously, this becomes a strategic risk.

Open source seen as the way forward

Open source AI means source code is public and auditable—giving organizations more flexibility and control.

Dutch companies see clear advantages:

78 percent expect better alignment with regulation
76 percent expect more transparency and control

In addition, 76 percent support policies that mandate open source principles. Notably, this puts the Netherlands ahead of other European countries.

According to Hans Roth, Europe is shifting from experimentation to secure and sovereign AI deployments. He says organizations no longer want closed ecosystems—they want the flexibility to mix technologies.

New solution: European AI support

Red Hat is responding with a new offer: Confirmed Sovereign Support. It’s a support model where:

All support is delivered within the EU
EU citizens handle technical support
Local control is strengthened

The move aligns with tightening European rules on data and AI.

What does this mean for Dutch organizations?

Dutch businesses need to rethink their AI strategy to stay resilient. Concretely, that means:

Invest more in data visibility
Fast-track governance
Reduce reliance on a single vendor
Consider open standards and open source

Without these steps, AI deployments risk spiraling out of control.

Conclusion: AI is outpacing control

The bottom line is stark: AI adoption is racing ahead of governance and visibility. That leaves organizations vulnerable—dependent on complex systems they don’t fully control.

AI sovereignty is shifting from a strategic nice-to-have to an immediate necessity.