CEOs Push Forward on AI and Talent - With Clear Eyes on Risk
The latest Global CEO Outlook points to a clear signal: leaders are investing through uncertainty. Confidence in the global economy eased to 68 percent (down from 72 percent last year), but conviction in company growth and capability-building is rising.
AI sits at the center of that conviction. Seventy-one percent call it a top investment priority, and 69 percent plan to allocate 10-20 percent of next year's budget to AI. At the same time, 92 percent expect to increase headcount over the next three years - proof that the strategy is AI plus people, not AI instead of people.
What this means for your strategy
- Fund AI as a core capability - not a side project - with clear value cases tied to margin, risk, and growth.
- Pair AI spend with hiring and upskilling plans so adoption doesn't stall in the last mile.
- Build strong governance early to manage ethics, data, and compliance risk without slowing execution.
Growth Appetite Is Back - and Focused
Sixty-one percent of CEOs expect earnings growth above 2.5 percent. Deal intent remains high with 89 percent predicting M&A activity in the next three years. Most leaders (72 percent) have already adjusted growth plans to today's conditions.
The leadership capabilities cited as most important are practical and execution-focused: faster decision making (26 percent), transparent communication (24 percent), and disciplined risk prioritization (23 percent). In short: clarity, speed, and control.
Where Progress Slows: The Constraint Map
- Cybercrime and cybersecurity: 79 percent
- AI workforce readiness and upskilling: 77 percent
- Integrating AI into business processes: 75 percent
- AI ethics concerns: 59 percent
- Data readiness: 52 percent
- Lack of regulation: 50 percent
These aren't abstract issues - they're adoption blockers. The message is simple: security, talent, data, and governance must move in lockstep with your AI roadmap.
AI First, People Led
Leaders are executing a people-led AI approach. Sixty-one percent are hiring for AI and broader tech skills, while 70 percent worry about talent competition and 77 percent cite upskilling as a hurdle. Treat AI capability as a portfolio: build (train), buy (hire), and partner (vendors, academia).
If you're scaling AI this year, formal governance is non-negotiable. Consider frameworks like the NIST AI Risk Management Framework for a practical baseline you can adapt to your context. Review the NIST AI RMF.
Practical talent moves
- Create an internal AI academy with role-based tracks (execs, managers, engineers, frontline).
- Stand up an AI Center of Excellence to centralize standards, tooling, and vendor selection.
- Publish a skills matrix by function and tie it to performance and compensation.
To accelerate upskilling with curated, job-specific programs, explore role-based AI course paths. See courses by job.
Climate Confidence Is Rising
Sixty-one percent of CEOs now believe they will meet net-zero targets by 2030, up from 51 percent last year. The implication: sustainability is returning to the investment agenda, anchored to real targets and timelines.
- Link emissions reduction to capital allocation, pricing, and supply chain KPIs.
- Use AI for measurement, forecasting, and scenario modeling to cut reporting lag and improve decisions.
A 90-Day Plan to Turn Intent into Results
- Week 1-2: Pick three AI value cases with owned data and clear ROI (e.g., sales forecasting, customer support, supply chain planning). Define KPIs and risk controls upfront.
- Week 3-6: Launch pilots with a cross-functional squad (product, data, security, legal). Establish data access patterns, guardrails, and human oversight.
- Week 7-8: Stand up an AI governance forum; adopt a lightweight policy covering data use, model risk, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints.
- Week 9-12: Publish a talent plan (roles, headcount, budget). Start role-based upskilling sprints and open targeted requisitions. Browse current AI courses.
Bottom Line for Executives
AI investment is climbing, headcount is growing, and deals are back - but execution strength will separate the winners. Move fast on AI with strong guardrails, back it with talent, and keep strategy flexible enough to adjust in weeks, not quarters.
The companies that do this well will convert uncertainty into durable growth - not by betting on everything, but by focusing on the few moves that compound.
Your membership also unlocks:
