Expanding Responsibilities of CIOs: Insights Gained from Forbes' 2025 CxO Growth Survey Research
In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are gearing up for a transformative year ahead. According to the Forbes Research 2025 CxO Growth Survey, which polled over 1,000 global C-Suite executives, including 200 CIOs, key priorities for CIOs in 2025 include advancing AI and automation, ensuring cybersecurity, optimising cloud migration and IT costs, supporting workforce development, promoting sustainability, and overcoming challenges in technology adoption.
AI and Automation
CIOs are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to boost innovation, enable operational efficiency, and drive digital transformation. AI is considered the top critical technology by 58% of global tech leaders in 2025. CIOs seek to both leverage AI's capabilities and manage its risks through frameworks like AI risk management.
Cybersecurity
Escalating digital threats make cybersecurity a persistent and primary investment area. CIOs prioritize building robust security architectures and vendor risk assessments to protect enterprise data and systems.
Cloud Migration and IT Cost Optimization
Continued cloud adoption, with refined strategies like FinOps and hybrid cloud architectures, aims to balance innovation with cost control. CIOs focus on optimising cloud expenses without sacrificing agility, often aiming to future-proof IT infrastructure by identifying which technologies inflate or deflate costs.
Workforce Development
Building a future-ready digital workplace is key. CIOs emphasise enterprise device management strategies and changing organisational culture to position technology teams as frontline innovators. This includes reshaping collaboration with engineering and business units and improving talent development around new tech capabilities like AI.
Sustainability and ESG
Environmental sustainability has emerged as a high priority for CEOs and CIOs, pushing the adoption of greener IT practices. Measuring and reducing technology’s carbon footprint are becoming mainstream tasks within CIO agendas as companies embed ESG initiatives into their operations.
Challenges in Technology Adoption
CIOs face pressures from economic constraints to show ROI, manage technology stack complexity, and ensure seamless strategic partnerships. They must judiciously invest in innovations that balance cost and value, while aligning IT and Infrastructure & Operations leaders to avoid strategic misalignment.
Embracing Unification
82% of CIOs say they're increasingly acting as unifiers, reaching across silos to advocate for innovation across departments. This collaborative approach is essential in driving digital transformation and ensuring that technology initiatives align with business goals.
Addressing Data Accuracy and Transparency
Data accuracy and transparent governance are obstacles for 50% of CIOs. As data becomes increasingly critical to decision-making, addressing these challenges is crucial for driving successful digital transformation.
Robots and Cobots
34% of CIOs plan to expand the use of robots and cobots, indicating a growing interest in automating repetitive tasks and freeing up human resources for more strategic activities.
In conclusion, the CIO agenda for 2025 reflects a balance between bold innovation, cost discipline, security, workforce empowerment, and sustainability. By addressing these priorities, CIOs aim to build resilient, future-proof IT environments that support the digital transformation of their organisations.
[1] AI Risk Management Framework: A Comprehensive Guide for CIOs. (2023). Retrieved from [Link] [2] The Future of Work: How CIOs are Empowering their Workforce. (2023). Retrieved from [Link] [3] IT Cost Optimization Strategies for 2025. (2023). Retrieved from [Link] [4] ESG and IT: A Strategic Imperative for CIOs. (2023). Retrieved from [Link]
The CEO and other C-Suite executives, including the Chief Investment Officer (CIO), are aligning their business strategies with technology in various industries, such as finance.
CIOs are investing in AI and automation, not just for technological advancement but also to drive business growth and foster innovation, as per the AI Risk Management Framework.
