Over 50% of CIOs to deploy gen AI solutions in next two years: Report

About 70% of company chief information officers (CIOs) call generative artificial intelligence (AI) a game changing technology that will also advance the democratisation of digital delivery beyond just IT function, a Gartner study has found. While 55% of the CIOs have said that they will deploy generative AI solutions in the next 24 months, less than 10% have already deployed such solutions. 

The Gartner study, for which over 2,400 CIOs were surveyed in 84 countries and across industries, also found that their top focus areas for investment in 2024 include cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud platforms. Further, 45% of the CIOs are beginning to work with CXO peers to bring IT and business area staff together to co-lead digital delivery on an enterprise-wide scale

“CIOs face a paradigm shift, sharing leadership responsibilities with CxOs to deliver digital success, while also contending with budgetary pressures and transformative technologies,” said Mandi Bishop, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner. “To successfully lead digital transformation initiatives, CIOs must co-own efforts with business leaders to place the design, delivery and management of digital capabilities with teams closest to the point where value is created.”
 
Gartner’s report further categorised CIO profiles into three types — operator where CIO retains digital delivery responsibility and works with CXOs on business areas; explorer where CIOs work with CXOs and other business area staff on digital delivery activities; franchisers where CIOs co-lead and co-deliver digital initiatives with CXO peers.

Notably, at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2023 held this week, Gartner spokesperson said that generative AI is no longer a technology or a business trend but a profound shift in how humans and machines interact, adding further that machines have evolved from being mere tools to be teammates. He further added that CIOs will have a major role in how AI is and how we are shaped by AI. “According to recent Gartner surveys of CEOs, CIOs are their number one choice to unlock the value of GenAI.”