Logicalis, the leading global technology service provider, has today released its annual CIO Report, revealing that 43% of CIOs globally, and 38% of CIOs in Ireland and the UK, often wish AI had never been invented, reflecting the mounting pressure on IT leadership to manage an adoption curve that is outpacing the frameworks needed to support it.
The new report, Harnessing AI: IT Leadership in the Next Era of Enterprise Technology, was conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Logicalis, surveying more than 1,000 CIOs across the globe, including Ireland. It paints a picture of organisations caught between ambition and preparedness. While 94% of CIOs report that their organisation's appetite for AI has increased over the last 12 months, more than half (51%) believe adoption is moving too fast.
The research reveals a series of critical gaps in how organisations are managing AI at ground level, with 66% of CIOs believing their organisation does not provide sufficient employee training on AI risk, or the responsible use of it. Just 37% say their organisation has full visibility of the AI tools and services being used within teams. With governance gaps widening, it is perhaps unsurprising that 57% believe employees are already putting data security at risk through AI tools, while 34% say AI has created new security blind spots. Meanwhile, 59% believe they are too reliant on a single AI vendor for critical functions.
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CIOs admit that the pace of change has led to trade-offs in their own roles too, with 62% saying they have compromised on AI governance due to a lack of knowledge and understanding. Taken together, these findings point to an industry-wide reckoning with the true cost of moving fast on AI without the foundations in place to do so responsibly.
Despite concerns, CIOs are clear about AI’s potential. Innovation remains the strongest driver of continued investment, with the top three cited benefits being: strengthening predictive analytics, data-driven forecasting and actionable business insights (56%); improving day-to-day service delivery (45%); and enhancing customer experience (45%).
Bob Bailkoski, CEO, Logicalis, said: "This year's report reveals a complex challenge for CIOs navigating the biggest innovation of our lifetime. Organisations are not short of ambition or appetite for AI, they are short of the frameworks, skills and confidence to deploy it at scale. The challenge right now is not whether to invest in AI, but how to build the foundations that will make that investment effective, safe and sustainable. Today’s CIO is no longer just a technology operator, they are strategically coordinating risk, ensuring accountability and driving value creation throughout the entire organisation.”
Mairead Malone, Ireland Country Lead, Logicalis UK&I states: “CIOs in Ireland and worldwide are rapidly shifting and evolving their priorities to keep pace with the acceleration of AI adoption. While they see the benefits, CIOs have legitimate concerns, focusing on the vital requirement for robust AI governance to support responsible deployment. Globally, CIOs are sending a warning sign: while the benefits of AI warrant widespread adoption, we must be prepared for that revolution. It is one that will bring immeasurable benefits to business, but one that must be managed with great caution.”
To view the full report, visit https://www.logicalis.com/cio-report
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