In its latest CIO Report, Logicalis highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in business operations. The report shows that AI is becoming central to how work is done, with 90% of UK CIOs reporting an increased appetite for AI adoption over the past year.
This interest is moderated by caution, as 36% of UK CIOs feel that AI is being adopted too quickly. Globally, 51% of CIOs share this concern. A contributing factor is the misalignment between AI strategies and overall business plans, with 61% of UK CIOs indicating their organisation’s AI strategy is not fully aligned with its business objectives.
The report notes that AI integration has sometimes outpaced governance frameworks. Organisations without stable operating models face potential regulatory exposure and operational disruption. The concern is not with investing in AI itself, but with the lack of clear alignment between experimentation and sustained organisational value.
Despite these challenges, AI is already delivering measurable benefits in specific areas. UK CIOs identified three domains where AI has the greatest impact:
- Improving day-to-day service delivery (59%)
- Strengthening predictive analytics, data-driven forecasting, and actionable business insights (57%)
- Enhancing customer experience (48%)
Internal skill gaps are also cited as barriers to AI adoption. 81% of UK CIOs report a lack of technical talent, with 27% considering this a significant obstacle. Additionally, 63% noted that staff lack sufficient skills for responsible AI use, which could lead to compliance and reputational issues.
Neil Eke, UK CEO at Logicalis UKI, commented, “CIOs are navigating a landscape defined by acceleration, fragmentation and rising expectations. They are being asked to move faster, deliver more value, and assume greater responsibility, often before the organisational foundation needed to support that responsibility is fully in place."
As the UK integrates AI into economic growth and public services, CIOs emphasise the need for robust operational models to support these initiatives. Practices that succeed in pilot or testing environments must be scalable and compliant with regulatory standards.
The Logicalis 2026 CIO Report is structured around four chapters—Setting the Agenda, From Confidence to Capability, Managing Security in the AI Era, and The Next Frontier—which collectively highlight a landscape of strong ambition coupled with uncertainty in governance. The report concludes that CIOs must develop adaptable governance frameworks to ensure that AI adoption is aligned with operational resilience.
