Almost half of operational decisions will be done by AI in 2030, IBM reveals – poll

Most of the world’s leading companies have appointed a chief artificial intelligence officer, and most believe the technology will continue to grow exponentially during the 2030’s, a new survey conducted by IBM revealed on Monday.

According to the results of a questionnaire completed by 2000 of the world’s leading CEOs, 76% of companies have a chief AI officer, and 64% of them feel comfortable taking decisions based on AI-generated insights.

In comparison, the previous survey revealed that only 26% of CEOs had appointed a chief AI officer, underscoring the increasing impact of AI across sectors.

Additionally, the survey revealed that most CEOs think AI will be able to make operational decisions without human intervention in 48% of situations, with most of these decisions made in operations where clear rules and procedures are established.

“AI is changing the speed and implications of decision-making. Organizations that will succeed will be those that adopt an ‘AI First’ approach, not as a technological addition, but as a new operating model,” said Gary Cohen, vice chairman of IBM.

According to the survey, 83% of CEOs believe that the success of AI adoption lies more in employee adoption than in improvements to the technology.

The companies surveyed reported that only 25% of employees currently use AI in their day-to-day tasks.

And the companies also predict adoption, alongside employee retraining, to enable employees to work alongside AI agents and use the latest models.

In total, 29% of employees are expected to undergo retraining between 2026 and 2028, with 53% needing to upgrade their skills in their current roles.

“Decision-making cycles will shorten, boundaries between functions will dissolve, and the advantage will go to those who can learn, adapt, and execute faster than their competitors,” Cohen explained.

Finally, 83% of CEOs believe that AI sovereignty (defined as control over data, models, and processes) is becoming a key component of business strategy as AI use expands within their organizations.