Agentic AI Forces CIOs to Rethink IT Operations for Business Success

Agentic AI: Rethinking IT Operations for Business Success

Agentic AI is set to change how work gets done within enterprises. For CIOs, this means rethinking IT operations to better support business goals. To navigate this shift effectively, there are five key questions every CIO should consider.

As agentic AI emerges, CIOs must adjust IT priorities, address new security challenges, and reskill staff to keep pace with change. While IT departments have always evolved to meet organizational needs, certain technological shifts demand a fresh look at IT's very structure.

When cloud infrastructure became self-provisioning and CI/CD automation took hold, many CIOs reevaluated separating development and operations roles, leading to the DevOps movement. Similarly, digital transformation prompted IT to position itself as a digital delivery and data powerhouse. Now, the rise of autonomous agentic AI could trigger another foundational restructure, though the core IT function remains essential.

“AI reminds me of the days when low-code, no-code, and RPA were expected to make IT fully autonomous, but that didn’t happen,” says Niraj Tenany, CEO of Netwoven. “Organizations still need IT to manage systems and provide strategic direction.”

How AI Changes IT’s Mission and Priorities

Generative AI capabilities represent a major shift in IT fundamentals. CIOs must rethink their digital transformation strategies or risk managing IT in ways that become outdated in the AI era.

A recent industry survey shows 75% of CIOs plan to spend more time on AI and machine learning initiatives this year, outpacing focus on cybersecurity, product development, and data analysis. Alongside this, there is pressure from boards to cut jobs and increase workplace efficiencies driven by AI expectations.

“In the agentic AI era, IT teams must embrace dynamic, cross-functional collaboration — blending human expertise with AI agents,” says Gastón Milano, CTO of Globant Enterprise AI. “IT’s role extends beyond governance to orchestrating workflows that combine continuous learning, specialized talent, and human-AI partnerships.”

The result: CIOs face pressure to accelerate innovation while ensuring resilience and efficiency. Some may have to downsize, reorganize teams, and shift culture. For others, restructuring IT could amplify their ability to deliver agentic AI capabilities.

Key Questions CIOs Should Ask

1. How will human-machine collaboration work?

• Which tasks will AI agents perform autonomously, and which will need human oversight?
• What governance is required for AI agents, and how will their effectiveness be tracked?
• Which employee responsibilities will be augmented by AI?
• How will partnerships or outsourcing fit into this new collaboration?

CIOs should guide not just IT but the entire C-suite on these questions. “IT is no longer a back-end function but the strategic nervous system,” says Vishal Sood, chief product officer at Typeface. “Organizations must shift from managing infrastructure to embedding AI agents across business processes.”

2. How should multidisciplinary agile teams evolve?

Early multidisciplinary teams focused on IT skills to deliver APIs, applications, and data services. As IT took a front-office role in customer experience and marketing, these teams incorporated business functions. Now, with AI agents joining the workforce, CIOs must rethink how teams deliver AI capabilities and include AI as teammates.

“Agile teams need to master collaborative multitasking, ensuring smooth handoffs between humans and machines,” explains Anurag Dhingra, head of enterprise connectivity and collaboration at Cisco. “Product owners should define AI-appropriate tasks, and engineers will increasingly work alongside AI for coding, testing, and deployment.”

3. How should IT governance and support functions be repositioned?

Even as IT and AI budgets grow, CIOs will face pressure to cut costs in operations and governance. Automation can boost efficiency, but CIOs must communicate how AI expands IT’s responsibilities in data, security, and performance management.

Naveen Zutshi, CIO of Databricks, points out, “AI agents can handle routine service tasks like troubleshooting and incident response, predict issues, and execute fixes — freeing IT professionals from manual work.”

4. How can IT lead change management and break down silos?

According to a recent Workday report, 82% of organizations are rapidly adopting AI agents to reduce workloads and accelerate innovation. Over 75% believe AI agents will improve employee growth, work-life balance, and job satisfaction. However, only 45% are comfortable being assigned tasks by AI agents, and 30% accept AI in supervisory roles.

CIOs should prepare for varying levels of adoption and resistance. The biggest opportunity lies in using AI to connect departmental roles and align workflows to clear business goals.

5. What new skills are essential in an agentic IT environment?

Upskilling goes beyond certifications. CIOs should focus on developing leadership, technology expertise, and critical thinking skills that enable IT staff to oversee autonomous systems rather than just execute tasks.

The shift is from being doers to orchestrators. IT professionals will need a blend of technical knowledge, ethics, and communication skills. New AI-specific roles will emerge, building on existing IT functions.

Should CIOs Reorganize IT?

It’s no longer a question of if, but when and how. CIOs planning a reorganization must clearly define goals and communicate how changes benefit employees. This transparency is key to gaining buy-in and moving forward effectively.

For executives aiming to lead in this new era, staying informed and preparing teams for agentic AI is critical. Exploring targeted AI training can be a practical step. For example, resources like Complete AI Training's latest courses offer up-to-date material to help IT professionals and leaders adapt.