A new global study from Cisco shows a major boardroom shift. Chief executives now see AI as essential, not experimental. Yet many fear their companies cannot move fast enough.
Cisco surveyed 2,500 CEOs across 23 countries. It found rising confidence in AI’s business value. Also, it uncovered growing concern about weak foundations.
The numbers show the mood clearly. Ninety-one percent of CEOs feel more optimistic about AI than last year. However, 65 percent worry they are underinvesting in the technology. That figure rose from 53 percent in one year.
For telecoms and unified communications teams, this matters. AI now depends heavily on networks, data flows, and secure platforms. Weak infrastructure can slow every AI project, even with strong executive backing.
More than half of CEOs fear infrastructure will limit AI plans. Cisco’s separate AI Readiness Index supports that concern. Only 22 percent of IT leaders rate their networks as ready for AI workloads.
This creates a clear execution gap. Leaders want AI-driven productivity and automation. Engineers must then deliver networks that support real-time data and heavier processing needs.
Security adds another challenge. CEOs want AI agents to support employees and complete routine tasks. These systems can act independently within set rules. That makes control, monitoring, and trust essential.
Yet only 31 percent of organisations feel ready to secure these AI agents. That gap could slow adoption in regulated sectors. It may also affect telecoms, financial services, healthcare, and public services.
Data quality creates another obstacle. One in three CEOs named fragmented or poor data as their largest barrier. Without clean and connected data, AI tools often deliver weak results.
Cisco found only 19 percent of organisations have fully centralised AI-ready data systems. This limits automation and decision support. It also reduces the value of AI in customer experience platforms.
Still, most CEOs do not expect AI to replace human judgment soon. Seventy-two percent expect AI to support work under human control. That view reflects caution around ethics, security, and accountability.
One CEO captured this balanced approach in the study: “Move fast with AI, but anchor decisions in human values – always.”
The research also shows that executives are learning quickly. Fewer CEOs now say their AI knowledge limits boardroom discussions. That figure fell from 74 percent to 47 percent in one year.
Regional attitudes differ too. European CEOs focus more on trust and transparency than speed. One European CEO warned: “Avoid rushing AI into decisions without transparency. Trust is harder to regain than efficiency.”
Overall, the message is clear. AI enthusiasm has reached the top of the enterprise. But infrastructure, security, and data readiness will decide who moves first.
For telecom and IT leaders, the opportunity is significant. Strong networks and secure platforms can turn boardroom ambition into operational results. The AI race now depends on execution, not belief.
