CEOs Acknowledge AI Potential Amid Knowledge Gaps, Cisco Reports

A new Cisco study reveals a significant paradox in AI adoption among CEOs, with 97% planning to integrate AI into their operations yet only 1.7% feeling fully prepared. While 80% recognize AI's potential benefits, many express concerns about knowledge gaps affecting strategic decisions, with 74% worried about the impact on boardroom discussions and 58% fearing growth stagnation. Over 70% of CEOs are anxious about losing competitive ground due to IT and infrastructure shortcomings, with more than half already observing competitive losses from underinvestment in technology. To address these challenges, CEOs are prioritizing workforce upskilling, infrastructure modernization, and cybersecurity, largely relying on trusted partners for support. Cisco's Chief Product Officer emphasized the critical need for businesses to adapt quickly, warning that those failing to integrate AI risk becoming irrelevant. The findings underscore a pressing need for organizations to bridge their knowledge and infrastructure gaps to fully realize AI's potential.