What CIOs must get right before AI can scale

AI is reshaping operations faster than organizations can keep up. Technology leaders — from chief data officers to CIOs and CTOs — are under pressure to get the fundamentals right. That means building the data infrastructure AI requires, preparing workforces for roles that are changing in real time, and scaling AI in ways that are secure and trusted. This article distills the Adobe 2026 AI and Digital Trends findings into three critical areas for the CIO to prioritize: data readiness, change management, and enterprise-level security. Preparing your data for agentic AI Scaling AI-driven experiences requires a foundation of high-quality, connected data — yet many organizations are not ready. The gap between AI ambition and AI readiness is widening, and data is the main bottleneck. Among survey respondents: Only 37% say their organization’s data quality and accessibility are adequate for AI. 78% cite data integration and quality as a top challenge to implementing agentic AI. 52% say limited data unification and structure are holding back their AI initiative. Organizations that act now to unify data infrastructure and modernize content operations will have a structural advantage as agentic AI matures. The potential benefits are real: the survey revealed 60% of participants believe agentic AI will enable their organization to focus more on strategy and creative opportunities. Turning AI adoption into an enterprise advantage As organizations scale generative and agentic AI across marketing and creative workflows, the rate of AI adoption is outpacing workforce readiness. For technology leaders, workforce readiness is one of the biggest barriers standing between AI investment and AI returns. Yet only 44% of respondents say they have sufficient AI training and upskilling programs, and only 30% say they have training in place for agentic AI. It’s clear that the brands that treat upskilling as a strategic investment will be better equipped to move beyond AI pilots to organization-wide deployment. Creating AI-powered experiences that customers can trust As agentic AI moves to the forefront of customer experience, the CIO’s role will need to expand from systems management to enterprise-wide AI stewardship. Technology leaders expect agentic AI to play an increasingly large role in customer interactions: 76% anticipate that at least half of customer support interactions will be handled directly by agentic AI within the next 18 months. But governance is critical. Translating governance policies into consistent practice will ensure organizations can deliver AI-driven experiences that customers trust. The bottom line CIOs who connect data, invest in talent, and scale responsibly will turn AI investments into real value. For CIOs to move from ambition to execution, they must meet the three priorities: Build the data foundation Prepare your workforce Govern AI as a business-critical function. Learn more and read the full excerpts here . See more insights from the report here .