CEOs report disappointment with their CIOs’ AI capabilities

CEOs are increasingly skeptical about their technology leaders’ AI expertise, creating tension between executive expectations and implementation realities. A recent Gartner survey reveals a significant confidence gap at precisely the moment when enterprises are betting big on artificial intelligence to drive transformation. This disconnect threatens not only CIO job security but also organizations’ ability to effectively execute their AI strategies in an increasingly competitive landscape.

The big picture: A majority of CEOs lack faith in their technology leaders’ AI capabilities, with only 44% believing their CIOs have sufficient expertise to meet organizational AI needs through 2026, according to Gartner’s late 2024 survey.

• The confidence gap extends beyond CIOs, with just 40% of CEOs viewing their chief data officers as AI savvy and fewer than 20% having faith in other C-suite executives’ AI expertise.
• Many CEOs have developed such high expectations for AI that a recent survey found most believe artificial intelligence can provide better business advice than their board members or executives.

Why this matters: The expertise gap threatens to create a competitive disadvantage at a time when AI is increasingly viewed as transformational rather than just another IT tool.

• As Jennifer Carter from Gartner notes, CEOs no longer see AI as simply part of the IT toolkit but as a fundamental business driver requiring specialized knowledge.
• The perception gap creates a precarious position for technology leaders who must balance innovation pressure with implementation realities.

What they’re saying: IT leaders point to a fundamental disconnect between CEO expectations fueled by AI hype and the practical challenges of enterprise implementation.

• “CEOs often don’t understand the on-the-ground realities of AI implementation,” explains Boris Kolev, Global CIO at JA Worldwide, noting that executives push for AI adoption out of competitive fear while underestimating data security, cost, and compliance complexities.
• Yvette Schmitter, CEO of Fusion Collective, suggests the faith deficit isn’t about expertise deficiency but rather “a fundamental disconnect between CEO expectations and organizational realities,” with CIOs exercising appropriate caution.
• “There’s a significant gap between technically possible AI and practical enterprise deployment,” observes Ronnie Pisani, CIO at NinjaCat, highlighting that while CEOs absorb headline narratives, technology leaders contend with real-world constraints.

The path forward: Technology leaders can bridge the confidence gap by pivoting toward more business-oriented approaches to AI implementation.

• According to Assaf Melochna, President at Aquant, CIOs should focus more on being product owners and business strategists rather than technologists, emphasizing growth over technical details.
• Successful technology executives are pursuing continuous education, engaging in cross-functional collaboration, and demonstrating responsible AI implementation that aligns with business objectives.
• The rapidly evolving AI ecosystem requires constant market attunement to ensure technology investments deliver tangible business value.