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- This\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0a \u2018humans get replaced\u2019 story:<\/strong>\u00a0Almost all CEOs see AI and humans working together by 2030, and most (72%)\u00a0expect humans to remain in charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- The foundations are still\u00a0shaky: <\/strong>Infrastructure upgrades rank as CEOs’ number one priority for 2026. Security and control is their top\u00a0concern as agentic AI scales. And one in three CEOs say fragmented data is\u00a0blocking AI progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Ain Alalam – Rashad Iskandrni<\/strong><\/p>\n
AI is exceeding most CEOs\u2019 expectations and their optimism is growing. Cisco\u2019s latest study shows that\u00a065% now worry\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0underinvesting in the technology \u2014 up from 53% last year \u2014 <\/strong>with more than two thirds (69%) of those surveyed now seeing AI adoption as mandatory for modern business. But significant challenges remain for <\/strong>companies struggling to build the infrastructure, data foundations, and security controls to make AI work safely, reliably and at scale.<\/p>\n
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This is the second consecutive year Cisco has surveyed 2,500 CEOs across 23 countries to understand how they view AI, what they expect from it, and what’s getting in the way of scaling.<\/p>\n
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As AI\u00a0enters\u00a0the workforce, most CEOs\u00a0expect\u00a0humans to work side by side\u00a0with AI<\/strong><\/p>\n
Deploying AI agents to work alongside employees is among the top three priorities for CEOs in 2026. By 2030, almost every\u00a0CEO expects AI to play a role in business, but they don\u2019t expect AI to fly solo. 72%\u00a0envision a future where AI only supports or executes under human direction, judgment, or governance.\u00a0Their reasons are both practical and relatable: keep AI systems secure, ensure productivity in human-AI teams, and navigate the ethics of AI decision-making effectively.\u00a0One CEO put it plainly: “Move fast with AI, but anchor decisions in human values \u2014 always.”<\/em><\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nCEOs have done the\u00a0learning,\u00a0now it\u2019s time to build<\/strong><\/p>\n
The knowledge gap is\u00a0closing fast. In\u00a012 months, the share of CEOs who said their understanding of AI held them back in the boardroom fell to 47% from 74%, with those who said it blocked informed decision-making\u00a0dropping to 49% from 74%.\u00a0While knowledge and confidence are rising, so is their\u00a0awareness of what it\u00a0takes\u00a0to get this right.<\/p>\n
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The execution\u00a0reality check<\/strong><\/p>\n
While CEO intent is growing, execution is stalling\u00a0because of three major constraints:<\/p>\n
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- Infrastructure\u00a0isn\u2019t ready: <\/strong>53% of CEOs fear infrastructure limits will hold them\u00a0back, and upgrading infrastructure to handle AI workloads ranks as the top priority for CEOs in 2026,<\/em> closely followed by upskilling teams for AI readiness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Trust is still a concern: <\/strong>Just as CEOs are pushing ahead to make AI agents part of their workforce – deploying agents is among their top three 2026\u00a0priorities – security and control of these autonomous systems has become their number one concern<\/em>.<\/li>\n
- Data is still too fragmented to power AI properly: <\/strong>Data quality, accessibility, and centralization issues blocking AI progress represent the single greatest barrier, cited by more CEOs (34%) than any other challenge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- Data is still too fragmented to power AI properly: <\/strong>Data quality, accessibility, and centralization issues blocking AI progress represent the single greatest barrier, cited by more CEOs (34%) than any other challenge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Trust is still a concern: <\/strong>Just as CEOs are pushing ahead to make AI agents part of their workforce – deploying agents is among their top three 2026\u00a0priorities – security and control of these autonomous systems has become their number one concern<\/em>.<\/li>\n
- Infrastructure\u00a0isn\u2019t ready: <\/strong>53% of CEOs fear infrastructure limits will hold them\u00a0back, and upgrading infrastructure to handle AI workloads ranks as the top priority for CEOs in 2026,<\/em> closely followed by upskilling teams for AI readiness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- The foundations are still\u00a0shaky: <\/strong>Infrastructure upgrades rank as CEOs’ number one priority for 2026. Security and control is their top\u00a0concern as agentic AI scales. And one in three CEOs say fragmented data is\u00a0blocking AI progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n