CEOs Sound Alarm: 2/3 Believe Their Orgs Are Underinvesting in AI

Cisco's latest survey of over 2,500 CEOs globally has found that most are concerned about underinvesting in AI. A staggering 67% of CEOs believe that their organisations are not investing enough in artificial intelligence, up from 57% last year. This sentiment is echoed by African CEOs, who view AI as a transformative opportunity and not a disruption.

The survey also reveals that 64% of CEOs now consider AI adoption mandatory. In Africa, the outlook is more positive, with CEOs seeing AI as a way to leapfrog competition rather than just catch up. They advise fellow leaders to seize this opportunity and act now.

When it comes to investing in AI, African CEOs are focusing on agentic AI, deploying agents to work alongside employees. However, they also express concerns about infrastructure, trust, and data quality, which are seen as major barriers to AI adoption. Cisco's Ossama Eldeeb notes that optimism alone won't close the gap; organisations need to build secure, AI-ready foundations to turn this optimism into results.