Expereo: “AI Pressures Mount for Global Technology Leaders”

Technology leaders of large global enterprises are facing increasing pressures as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a major force of innovation and disruption.

According to a recent report titled "Enterprise Horizons 2024: Technology Leaders' Priorities on Their Digital Business Journey," commissioned by Expereo, a global provider of managed network solutions - 64% of global respondents find it challenging or stressful to meet their business's technology demands.

This research indicates that as industry leaders race to adapt and adopt AI, it simultaneously is emerging as a key source of both pressure and opportunity.

Whilst Expereo’s services encompass enhanced internet, network optimisation and cloud acceleration for global enterprises, including 60% of Fortune 100 companies across 190 countries, it also partners with tech giants like IBM, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.

We take a look at the company’s key findings from the survey.

AI's impact on technology leaders

The report indicates that AI has raised the profile and expectations of technology leaders at the board level.

While 60% of global respondents say their focus on AI has boosted their personal reputation, 47% also state that their board has unrealistic demands regarding AI's impact on international business performance.

Furthermore, 39% felt their job has become more stressful due to their increased profile.

The perceived impact of AI on the workforce contributes to what the report terms "AI-anxiety."

Forty percent of technology leaders believe a Chief AI Officer role will assume many of the Chief Information Officer's responsibilities within two years.

As whilst AI is being increasingly adopted and impacting technology businesses, deploying AI successfully is a different matter, requiring coordination across departments, managing AI risks and ethics and aligning AI initiatives with broader business objectives.

According to data from Foundry, the software developer for the Media and Entertainment industry, this transformation is already underway, with 11% of medium to large organisations already having a CAIO or equivalent in the role.

Additionally, the report found that 38% express concern that AI could replace their own or their team's roles.

Ben Elms, CEO at Expereo, sums up the double-edged sword of AI raising the profile as well as the expectations of technology leaders, saying: “Technology leaders are at the forefront of driving innovation and transformation in their organisations, but they also face significant challenges and pressures from the business and the board.”

Evolving responsibilities amid AI challenges

Despite these challenges, technology leaders remain enthusiastic about the pace of innovation.

The survey shows that 68% of global respondents consider this the most exciting time to be a technology leader.

Moreover, 71% are confident in their ability to support growth and efficiency gains through their current technology strategy.

The report also highlights that technology leaders are expected to contribute to various aspects of the business, including growth, risk management and IT modernisation.

However, their role is set to become even more demanding in the next two years, as they orchestrate digital transformation and generate digital revenue.

Currently, only 7% of global respondents say they must demonstrate return on investment to the board to justify budget increases.

Yet, this figure is expected to rise to 12% within two years, according to the report.

In the AI realm, Expereo has implemented AI-driven network optimisation for major e-commerce firms like Amazon and Alibaba, improving network performance by 30% and reducing operational costs by 25%.

The company has also collaborated with financial institutions such as HSBC to deploy AI-powered security measures, enhancing threat detection by 40% and reducing false positives by 60%.

However, these projects demonstrate the potential benefits of AI adoption in network management and security, whilst also highlighting the challenges technology leaders face in implementing such advanced systems.

Ben emphasises the importance of alignment between Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and CEO’s for maximum AI utilisation, stating: "It's vital that CIOs align with their CEOs to ensure they are given the proper support by their stakeholders, teams and their external partners, to help them make the most of a challenging but exciting technology landscape."

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