Futurum Group: How CEOs are Preparing for AI in 2025

Futurum Group: How CEOs are Preparing for AI in 2025

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  How CEOs arePreparing For AI in 2025 Research by Dion Hinchcliffe, VP of CIO Practice Presented by Stephen Foskett, President of Tech Field Day Business Unit
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  Seizing AI’s Potential: TheCEO’s Playbook for 2025 and Beyond • Futurum and Kearney recently completed the largest study of CEO opinions on AI • Insights from 213 CEOs on AI’s impact, challenges, and game-changing strategies • Conducted from Nov-Jan, 2024 • AI is not just a tool - it’s a business strategy • CEOs face a looming choice: Disrupt or be disrupted! • The future belongs to those who act decisively
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  AI’s Unstoppable Rise •AI will inject $20 trillion into the global economy by 2030 • Every $1 spent on AI delivers up to $5 in business value • 78% of CEOs believe AI will drive competitive advantage, but only 25% feel ready • AI is not just automation; it’s the next evolution of decision-making • The race is on, but are CEOs leading or lagging?
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  AI Transformation Stories HowTop CEOs Are Doing AI Right • A leading bank cut fraud by 60% using AI risk models. • A manufacturer reduced downtime by 40% with predictive maintenance. • An insurer was able to reduce customer care costs by $2 million a year in weeks. • AI isn’t theoretical—it’s already delivering measurable gains.
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  The Confidence Paradox CEOsSay They’re Ready—Reality Says Otherwise • 78% of CEOs claim confidence in AI, yet only 19% are using it for business transformation • Overconfidence at the top masks deep gaps in execution below • High-performing firms decentralize AI leadership—micromanaging CEOs drive only 59% successful AI initiatives and 92% of failures! • Leadership must shift from control to enablement: Winning firms empower AI ‘champions’ at all levels
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  ROI Blind Spot AI’sPromise is Clear—The Returns, Not So Much • 48% of high-achievers rigorously track AI ROI vs. 17% of underperformers • AI without ROI tracking = a high-cost experiment • CEOs must anchor AI projects in clear, measurable returns • Those who measure, scale; Those who guess, fail • Lesson: If AI isn’t proving value, it won’t last
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  Myopic Ambition Short-Term WinsAre Killing Long-Term Strategy • 95% of companies are focused on quick AI wins vs. business model innovation • Short-term thinking = missed competitive advantage • The best AI strategies balance immediate impact with future breakthroughs • The big question: Are you solving yesterday’s problems or designing tomorrow’s business?
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  The AI TalentCrisis AI Needs People, Not Just Code • 57% of CEOs report a lack of AI expertise inside their firms • High-performing CEOs focus on AI literacy across all roles—not just data science • The best firms report blend internal upskilling, strategic hires, external partners • No AI expertise? Then no AI advantage
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  The Fast-Follower Edge TheBest CEOs Aren’t First Movers • Over 50% of CEOs prefer a fast-follower approach—waiting, learning, then scaling AI • Rushed AI rollouts fail. 58% of struggling firms pursue aggressive AI strategies • Steady beats speed: Smart CEOs test, refine, and expand AI initiatives methodically • Build, learn, scale, not the other way around
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  AI and Leadership •CEOs who insist on leading AI themselves see lower success rates • Top firms distribute AI leadership across specialized teams • AI thrives when expertise, not hierarchy, drives decision-making • Decentralization = AI acceleration
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  The Cultural Divide AIFear = AI Failure • Workforce fears about AI are a bigger barrier than technology itself • 41% of CEOs fail to address AI’s impact on jobs and workflows • The best leaders treat AI as a human augmentation tool—not just automation • Proactive communication + targeted reskilling = AI success
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  The Data Deficit GarbageData, Garbage AI • 60% of failed AI efforts cite bad data infrastructure • AI isn’t about algorithms—it’s about clean, connected data • AI success depends on modernizing data architecture before deploying models • No unified data? No AI advantage
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  AI Governance &Ethics AI Without Guardrails is AI at Risk • 80% of CEOs worry about AI bias and ethics—yet only half have a governance framework • Industries like finance and healthcare lead in AI oversight—others lag • Ethical AI isn’t optional—it’s a competitive advantage • CEOs must install governance councils before scaling AI
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  AI-Driven Decision-Making • CEOsleveraging AI in real-time decision-making see 52% faster response times • Predictive analytics is reshaping supply chains, finance, and risk management • AI accelerates business agility—leaders must rethink decision workflows
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  Agentic AI: TheNext Evolution • AI doesn’t just create content—it can take independent action • Industries from logistics to finance are shifting from RPA to action-taking agentic AI • CEOs must prepare for AI that does the work, not just assists content creation
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  AI Is Notan IT Project It’s a Business Model Revolution IT • The best companies embed AI into operations, not just IT • AI is a core business function—treat it like one • Winning CEOs think AI-first, not AI- later
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  Industries Leading inAI • Finance: AI-powered risk analysis & fraud detection • Healthcare: Predictive diagnostics & personalized medicine • Manufacturing: AI-driven automation & supply chain optimization • Retail: Personalization & AI-driven demand forecasting
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  Stephen’s Takeaways • TheCEO’s job is to establish a vision for AI and push for transformative applications • Create pilot projects with measurable ROI and cull the under-performing applications • Modernize AI data infrastructure and invest in technical expertise • Be proactive in AI-related communications and transparent about data • Set firm guidelines for ethical data collection and use Connect with Stephen Foskett on LinkedIn
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  Access The FuturumGroup’s CEO AI Insights Report https://bit.ly/ fkceo25