As CIOs launch their key initiatives for 2024, the economic environment has a little less uncertainty than last year, but the same high demands for growth, productivity and innovation. Organizations are looking to their CIOs for leadership on AI adoption, and expectations are high on how companies might realize efficiencies from it.
At the same time, CIOs remain focused on cybersecurity strategies, protecting data and managing risk to the enterprise. They continue to prioritize finding operational efficiencies across the business in their role as leaders of organizational and digital business initiatives.
More than 1,100 CIOs across our communities shared their key priorities in our annual survey – here’s what they reported.
Security & Data Are Critical, But AI Moves Up the Ranks
For the third year in a row, CIOs in our survey cited cybersecurity as their top priority. Data and analytics is their second highest priority – again, for the third year in a row. This year, AI and Machine Learning has moved into the top five CIO priorities for 2024.
Creating Efficiencies Is Top Enterprise Priority
Finding operational efficiencies and improving productivity continue to be a top priority for CIOs as they lead across the business. This coincides with the expectations around AI and automation and the optimism that technology leaders can reduce redundant tasks with new AI tools. Optimizing costs remained in the top five priorities despite a more stable economic footing going into this year than last.
Budgets Have Increased or Remained Flat
In 2024, a higher percentage of CIOs (38%) report that their budgets are remaining flat compared to last year’s survey, when 26% said that their budgets did not change. Still, 82% of CIOs have either more resources or the same amount as in previous years.
Investing in AI
Sixty-four percent of CIOs plan to spend on AI and Machine Learning – a significant jump from 2023, when 48% of executives reported plans to spend in those areas. The next highest spending areas reflect CIOs’ priorities of cybersecurity and data and analytics with 48% planning to spend on each one.
At Evanta, we conduct our proprietary Leadership Perspective Survey annually among the members of our C-level communities around the world. Executives share their top priorities, challenges and goals for the year ahead, enabling us to highlight trends and develop sessions and discussion topics based on real-time needs. Apply now to join a local CIO community, or if you are already a member, sign in to MyEvanta to see upcoming events in your community.
Based on 1,100+ CIO responses from Evanta’s proprietary Leadership Perspective Survey, March 2024.
by CIOs, for CIOs
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