CIO Priorities 2026
Own the moment; prepare for the frontier.
The Situation
Amid an uncertain future and rapid technological change, tomorrow seems unpredictable. As organizations leverage emerging technologies to leap from now to next, what does “next” mean for CIOs in 2026?
1. Maximize AI investments with a focus on value streams.
Embrace agentic AI to transform your business model.
Generative AI jumpstarted the engine of productivity gains, but agentic AI will pave the road to deeper business and organizational value. This requires architectural changes to design AI for ROI, plus significant shifts in how people and processes operate – an organization-wide transformation.
2. Prepare for the unknown with a proactive risk practice.
Build a comprehensive and integrated view of risk.
Risk management is in a perpetual race against rapid AI disruption, geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity threats, and regulatory change. It’s time for a less reactive, top-down approach to risk. Organizations need a more proactive, cross-functional strategy to avoid the risks they see coming and deftly adapt in real time to the ones they don’t.
3. Empower domain experts with data accountability.
Define your federated data operating model.
AI ambitions are outpacing the data foundations needed to support them. Encourage domain experts across your organization to build and maintain data products by adopting a federated data governance model. This makes each domain accountable for getting value out of its data while also enabling cross-domain insights.
4. Don’t lose the cyber arms race.
Fight AI with AI to keep pace in cybersecurity.
From realistic deepfakes to AI agents that probe for vulnerabilities, AI has made it far easier to launch complex cybersecurity attacks. Though AI and automation can also be harnessed for defense, organizations must cut through vendor buzzwords to pin down if such tools can really add discernible value to their cybersecurity efforts.
5. Run IT by the numbers.
Fund high-value, rapid impact digital and AI initiatives.
IT is under pressure to find efficiencies during a challenging economy yet still drive technology innovation. CIOs must take a more transparent approach to IT financial management: clearly communicate the value IT provides to specific stakeholders and reinvest efficiency-based cost savings in innovation initiatives that quickly drive new value.
Blueprint Contents
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