The CIO Revolution: How GenAI is Transforming the Job Description
Get ready for the biggest shake-up in the tech industry: generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is here to stay, and CIOs are leading the charge. At the annual ITWeb Brainstorm CIO Banquet, held in Sandton, we got a sneak peek at the latest survey results, and the picture is clear: GenAI adoption has more than doubled among South African CIOs in the past year.
But what does this mean for the CIOs themselves? Are they poised to take on even more responsibilities, or are they feeling the pressure of these rapidly changing times?
According to the survey, 38% of CIOs have already adopted GenAI, up from just 16% last year. And this isn’t just a passing trend – GenAI is here to stay, with 50% of respondents saying it’s being used in cyber security, 43% in employee productivity, and 38% in knowledge management.
But what does this mean for the CIOs themselves? Will they be shouldering even more responsibilities, or will this be a case of "out with the old, in with the new"? The survey suggests that 59% of CIOs are 40-50 years old, with 26.6% already 50-60. Will they be content to stick with the status quo, or will they be looking to retire, move up to the CEO role, or make a bold move to another country?
And what about the threat of emigration? 76% of CIOs say they plan to stay in South Africa – a heartening result, considering the often-dour outlook on the brain drain and emigration of taxpayers from the country.
But what about cyber security? 55% of CIOs now have responsibility for their companies’ security, up from 49% last year. Is this a sign that the CIO is becoming even more vital to the organization, or simply another sign that the buck stops with them?
The survey results are in, and the implications are clear: the CIO role is evolving at a breakneck pace. Will they be able to adapt, or will they be left behind in the dust? The future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: GenAI is here to stay, and the CIOs who can harness its power will be the ones leading the charge.
The Full Report
Get access to the preliminary results of the ITWeb Brainstorm CIO Survey 2024 by downloading the presentation slides here.
