IBM’s 2025 CEO Study: Key Takeaways

IBM’s 2025 CEO study surveyed 2000 global CEOs from 24 industries to find out how organizations are considering and implementing AI in their operations. 

The results are striking. Leaders now view risk as an imperative, throwing caution to the wind, with bold technology decisions the key to maintaining a competitive edge. IBM’s own vice chairman, Gary Cohn, even claimed that CEOs who aren’t leveraging AI are making a conscious decision not to compete. 

The lesson is clear: If you want to stand a chance in this increasingly competitive market, AI adoption is not a choice, it’s a necessity. 

Read on to gain more key takeaways from the report and learn how CEOs are running towards AI at full speed.

Key take outs

Leadership Mindshifts in a World of Disruption

CEOs are responding to volatility not with caution, but by rethinking every strategy. AI is no longer viewed as a productivity booster; it’s a catalyst for reimagining business performance. Five critical mindset shifts are shaping modern leadership:

Lead with Boldness, Not Caution

Small change is insufficient in today’s climate. Courageous, decisive leadership now poses less risk than hesitation.

Rebuild, Don’t Retrofit

AI is disrupting the foundations of legacy business models. Leaders are dismantling outdated structures to architect faster, more adaptive operations.

Turn Data Chaos into Competitive Clarity

CEOs admit that past tech investments created fragmented data ecosystems. The next wave of advantage depends on building coherent, connected, and decision-ready data environments.

From Fear of Missing Out to Focus on ROI

While only 25% of AI projects are meeting ROI expectations, high-performing leaders are resisting hype and refocusing on value creation over experimentation.

Rethink Talent as a Network, Not a Fixed Asset

With skills gaps widening, CEOs plan to re-skill a third of their workforce within three years. Agile leaders are building talent ecosystems—blending in-house, outsourced, and AI-enabled capabilities.

AI Is No Longer Optional – It’s the Next Competitive Frontier

• 68% of CEOs say AI is already transforming the core of their business.
• 61% believe future differentiation will come from having the most advanced generative AI systems.
• Yet despite enthusiasm, most organizations remain in the testing phase – scaling AI successfully remains a major hurdle.

Data & Infrastructure: The Hidden Barrier to AI at Scale

• 72% agree that proprietary data is the key to AI value creation.
• Yet 50% are hamstrung by siloed or disconnected tech stacks.

Winning organizations are prioritizing making data available for everyone in the business, enabling real-time, insight-led decision-making across the enterprise.

Redefining Innovation and Value Creation

Only 16% of AI programs have achieved enterprise-wide scale.
A shift is underway, from tech exploration to value-based innovation:

• 65% of CEOs now prioritize ROI-driven use cases.
• 68% have implemented metrics to measure innovation effectiveness.

The focus is expanding beyond cost-cutting to include customer experience, resilience, and risk mitigation.

Reengineering Talent Through a Hybrid Capability Model

• 67% of CEOs say competitive edge depends on access to the right expertise.
• 65% are leveraging automation to close skills gaps.
• 57% now view outsourcing as a strategic enabler, not just an operational necessity.

Strategic Implications for Leaders

Risk Is the New Safe

Inaction is the greatest threat. Prioritize bold bets in AI, data, and transformation over cautious continuity.

Adopt an AI-First, Not AI-Also Strategy

Position AI not as a support tool, but as a central pillar of competitive strategy, embedded across marketing, operations, and innovation.

Data = Agility

Unified, accessible data environments are the foundation for faster, more informed decisions. Clean data is now a strategic asset, not a technical concern.

Shift Innovation Metrics to Business Value

Kill vanity projects. Focus investment on innovations that deliver measurable commercial, customer, or risk-related outcomes.