How elite CIOs put AI to work

To identify CIOs who were ahead of the pack in terms of AI maturity, we undertook a CIO-focused deep dive into the index data. What we discovered is that not all CIOs are alike. Out of those surveyed, there is a cohort of top-performing IT execs (CIOs as well as CTOs, CDO, CAIOs, etc.) who are meeting the present challenges and excelling beyond their peers. We call these tech leaders “elite CIOs.” These elites are a guide to all those looking to realize the enormous benefits of AI.

Such forward-looking elite CIOs are already leveraging agentic AI (AI that can make decisions and take actions with minimal human oversight) to deliver higher productivity, efficiency, and revenue growth for their orgs. More than eight in 10 of these highfliers report seeing such benefits now. Additionally, elites are reporting on average a more than 10% increase in gross margins due to AI, versus roughly 8% for non-elites.

Yet AI for AI’s sake is not the answer, cautions ServiceNow Chief Innovation Officer Dave Wright. “It's about achieving business objectives,” he says. “AI can do four things: drive top-line growth, boost the bottom line, improve customer experiences, and transform the business. But you must decide your goal first, because that will fundamentally set your strategy."

The elites are already seeing positive results from their AI initiatives. They are a beacon to help all IT leaders navigate the way forward in this time of unprecedented technological change. Here are six ways elites are doing better than the rest:

1. They have a clear AI vision and roadmap. Elite CIOs are visionaries who use AI to pursue strategic reinvention and partner with colleagues in the C-suite. They are also more likely than others to name an AI leader to implement an organization wide AI strategy. Elites also say their leadership is actively engaged in AI transformation (94% of Elite CIOs say their C-suite is engaged in their AI transformation, versus 79% of other CIOs).

2. They leverage a platform strategy. Elites take a connected organizational approach to AI transformation. They replace legacy systems with an integrated platform that connects people, data, and processes through AI-enabled workflows. Sixty-three percent of Elites use a platform with built-in AI, versus 49% of others. And 63% say they are already using AI to integrate and create business workflows.

3. They upskill employees and promote an innovation mindset. Elite CIOs know that having the right mix of talent and skills is vital for keeping up with the pace of AI. That’s why they’re more likely (70%, versus 48% of others) to encourage ongoing AI experimentation and shared knowledge. They recruit AI specialists and promote training programs to upskill staff, and it’s paying off: 92% of Elites say they have the right talent and skills mix, versus 78% of others.

4. They prioritize data management and governance. Elites understand AI’s data requirements and are setting up teams to draft policies, mitigate risks, and prioritize responsible AI usage. These CIOs are also much more likely (87%, versus 44% of others) to use AI to clean, manage, integrate, visualize, and transform their data.

5. They embrace agentic AI. Elite CIOs also are ahead when it comes to agentic AI. Thirty-six percent report they are currently using agentic AI in their businesses, versus 19% of others. Many are already using AI agents to write code, assess business risks, respond to customers, monitor systems, and tailor products and services. They are planning for novel use cases and are making sure their data is ready to get the most out of AI agents.

6. They lean into metrics. Finally, Elites are not just adopting AI on faith; they’re working against a set of concrete metrics to gauge if AI systems are improving business outcomes, delivering concrete ROI, and performing as expected. Such data is also useful when arguing for further AI investment and support. Ninety-three percent of Elite CIOs report using defined metrics, versus 75% of others.

The promise of AI is that it will radically reshape how orgs are structured and how they deliver value. That requires IT experts who can make sure advanced technology is realizing specific business objectives. Elite CIOs are using AI more—and in more ways—than competitors and seeing benefits now. Leaning into AI, leaders will be positioned to win as AI redefines their companies and entire industries.