GLOBAL CEOs WARN AI AMBITIONS ARE OUTPACING BUSINESS READINESS

CEOs FEAR FALLING BEHIND AS AI INVESTMENT PRESSURE INTENSIFIES, CISCO REPORT FINDS

Business leaders are becoming increasingly confident about artificial intelligence, but a growing number fear they are not investing quickly enough to remain competitive, according to new global research from Cisco, which warns that outdated infrastructure, fragmented data and security concerns now pose the biggest obstacles to unlocking AI’s full commercial potential.

Artificial intelligence has moved beyond experimentation and into the boardroom, with business leaders increasingly viewing AI adoption as essential to future competitiveness rather than an optional technology investment.

Cisco’s latest global CEO research reveals that 91% of chief executives are now more optimistic about AI than they were a year ago, while 65% admit they fear their organisations are underinvesting in the technology. The figure represents a sharp increase from 53% in 2025 and reflects the growing pressure on businesses to accelerate AI adoption as competitors invest heavily in automation, analytics and intelligent systems.

The research, based on interviews with 2,500 CEOs across 23 countries, suggests corporate leaders have largely moved beyond asking whether AI works and are now focused on how quickly they can deploy it effectively across their organisations.

AI Moves From Strategy To Execution

The study shows that almost seven in ten CEOs now consider AI adoption mandatory for modern business, highlighting the technology’s transition from innovation project to boardroom priority.

However, while confidence continues to rise, many organisations remain unprepared for large-scale implementation.

Infrastructure capable of supporting AI workloads has emerged as the biggest investment priority for 2026, with business leaders recognising that legacy systems may struggle to cope with increasingly sophisticated AI applications.

At the same time, organisations are investing heavily in employee skills, recognising that successful AI deployment depends as much on workforce capability as technological capability.

Human Leadership Will Remain Central

Despite growing adoption of AI agents and automation, the research challenges fears that artificial intelligence will replace executive decision-making.

Almost every CEO expects AI to play an important role by 2030, yet 72% believe humans will continue to lead decision-making, with AI operating under human supervision, governance and ethical oversight.

The findings suggest business leaders increasingly see AI as a strategic partner rather than a replacement for human judgement.

One European CEO summarised this approach: “Avoid rushing AI into decisions without transparency. Trust is harder to regain than efficiency.”

Infrastructure, Security And Data Remain The Biggest Challenges

While executive confidence has grown significantly, Cisco warns that execution continues to lag behind ambition.

More than half of CEOs believe inadequate infrastructure could slow AI implementation, while security and governance have become the biggest concerns as businesses prepare to deploy increasingly autonomous AI agents.

Fragmented data also continues to undermine progress, with 34% of CEOs identifying poor data quality, accessibility and centralisation as the single biggest obstacle to successful AI adoption.

Cisco says its findings are reinforced by its separate AI Readiness Index, which surveyed more than 8,000 IT leaders globally. That research found only 22% of organisations currently operate AI-ready networks, while fewer than one in five have centralised data environments capable of supporting advanced AI systems.

The Next Competitive Battleground

For business leaders, the challenge is no longer understanding artificial intelligence but building the technological foundations required to deploy it securely and at scale.

The companies that successfully modernise infrastructure, improve data management and strengthen AI governance are expected to gain significant competitive advantages over organisations that delay investment.

Cisco’s research suggests the next phase of AI adoption will be determined less by ambition and more by execution, with business success increasingly dependent on how quickly organisations can build the infrastructure needed to support an AI-driven future.