EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

CHASE DOELLING , PRINCIPAL STRATEGIST , JUMPCLOUD

Externally , the CIO role is increasingly shaped by the rapid pace of AI innovation and its potential to accelerate customer outcomes .

As AI tools and capabilities mature , the timeline from ideation to execution continues to shrink . CIOs constantly need to evaluate not only AI ’ s potential as more use cases are developed but also the new set of tools supporting them .

But this speed of innovation also brings a formidable challenge on the security front as bad actors leverage AI to devise more sophisticated cyberattacks . It raises the critical question for CIOs : when will AI outsmart their most vulnerable attack vector – their employees ?

Internally , CIOs stand to benefit significantly from AI- Driven tools and technologies that boost productivity through automation . What becomes critical for CIOs is deploying these while ensuring no impact on the organization ’ s security posture . We ’ ve seen how data given to public models opens up new , unexpected threats . For example , when Samsung uploaded proprietary data into OpenAI ’ s ChatGPT .

CIOs need to be confident that the data required to capture the value of AI is handled securely and responsibly .

Another critical consideration for CIOs around AI is assessing the ROI of AI investments . Adding new AI products to specific departments may yield substantial benefits , but CIOs must consider the implementation time required to turn the “ Dream ” of AI guidance into a tangible reality . Different departments will see different results , forcing the question – will another tool to another department reap the same benefits ? AI products will require increased scrutiny from CIOs around whether they are riding on the coattails of AI giants or if they genuinely add value to an organization . It is crucial to differentiate between genuinely transformative solutions and those offering a superficial layer of branding .

CIOs will need to be ready to spearhead major infrastructure overhauls to support the massive scale of data and computing power required for a performant AI pipeline .

CIOs must navigate the delicate balance between harnessing AI ’ s potential for innovation and productivity while mitigating the evolving threats in the cybersecurity landscape . They must scrutinize new AI products and technologies to ensure they provide genuine value and adhere to stringent security and data protection standards . The CIO ’ s ability to adapt and effectively incorporate AI into their organization ’ s strategy will be a defining factor in their ( and their organization ’ s ) success .

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