EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

HOW CAN CIOS PREPARE FOR THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ACROSS EUROPE ?

The emerging impact of AI , combatting more sophisticated cyberthreats and improving sustainability are the top priorities for CIOs .

Results in the 2024 CIO Report from global technology service provider , Logicalis UK & I , revealed that 85 % of CIOs are earmarking budgets solely for AI development and implementation .

Undoubtedly , this needs to be a strategic objective for many senior leaders in 2024 as 87 % of CIOs reported a substantial demand for AI technology from across their organisations .

Before the calls of ‘ the robots are taking over ’ are made , it is worth noting that there is an air of caution amongst many CIOs – 72 % said that they are apprehensive about the challenges of regulating AI use internally , and 64 % of business leaders expressed worries about AI threatening their core business propositions .

The Logicalis CIO Report surveys the views of 1,000 CIOs across the globe and has tracked the strategic influence of the CIO for over a decade . During that time technology leaders have moved from the basement to the boardroom . Now , in 2024 , CIOs must juggle major disruptive forces . The rise of AI and advancing security threats , global economic uncertainty and the mounting need for climate action , are upending the status quo and bringing a whole new set of leadership challenges .

Cybersecurity findings from the CIO Report include :

• 83 % reported experiencing a cyber hack in the last year

• Less than half ( 43 %) felt their business was fully equipped to handle another major security breach

• Malware and ransomware ( 41 %) are the most significant risks to organisations over the next 12 months , with a similar portion reporting data breaches ( 36 %) and phishing attacks ( 35 %) as the two other most significant risks .

As if getting to grips with emerging AI and combatting sophisticated cyber hacks wasn ’ t enough , CIOs are also facing growing pressures to limit the environmental impact of their organisations on top of the traditional demands to control costs .

Sustainability findings from the CIO Report include :

• 92 % of CIOs are increasing investment in environmental sustainability initiatives

• 89 % of CIOs have clear targets to reduce carbon emissions from IT

• 96 % of CIOs say their function has a voice in the company ’ s overall sustainability planning and target-setting

To identify potential areas for improvement , CIOs must know where to look and the data deluge continues to make this a challenge . Four-fifths ( 80 %) of technology leaders struggle to analyse performance across their digital footprint . This lack of visibility is not only a time drain , but a barrier to finding opportunities to bring down costs , enhance service and deliver maximum value back to the business .

No single company can tackle these challenges alone , so it ’ s encouraging that almost all respondents are alive to the need for collaboration and see the value in assessing the sustainability credentials of new suppliers .

30 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com