State of the CIO, 2025: CIOs set the AI agenda

Navigating the AI and machine learning journey will become an even bigger focus for IT leaders over the next year, according to three quarters of IT leader respondents. Direction is being set by the executive suite. This year’s top CEO priority for IT leaders is researching and implementing AI products and projects, cited by 26% of State of the CIO respondents. In 2024, AI didn’t make the first cut as CEOs directed IT leadership to prioritize digital transformation initiatives, fortifying IT and business collaboration, and upleveling security to reduce corporate risk.

As companies advance their AI agendas, they are doing so through partnership between IT and line of business. Three quarters of 2025 State of the CIO respondents said the CIO is collaborating closely with LOB leaders to strategize and develop AI applications. IT departments are also leaning on their business counterparts to drive AI adoption, cited by 71% of companies participating in this year’s research.

Oshkosh Corp. has numerous efforts under way to build a collaborative bridge between IT and the business, according to Anupam Khare, the company’s CIO. As part of a CEO-inspired movement to promote digital savviness, Oshkosh is working with select business users to identify problems, create solutions, and serve as ambassadors to influence others to get onboard. Khare has also staffed IT with people who have expertise in specific areas of the business — the shop floor, legal, or supply chain, for example — to create greater synergy and understanding of AI as well as general IT initiatives.