The optimism with which CEOs view AI is increasing, with digital technology company Cisco’s latest study showing that nearly two-thirds, or 64%, of CEOs surveyed view AI adoption as mandatory for modern business.

The survey of 2 500 CEOs across 23 countries shows that 67% are concerned that they are underinvesting in the technology, up from 57% in the prior year's study.

However, significant challenges remain for companies struggling to build the infrastructure, data foundations and security controls to make AI work safely, reliably and at scale, Cisco warns.

As AI enters the workforce, most CEOs expect humans to work side by side with AI, and deploying AI agents to work alongside employees is among the top three priorities for CEOs this year.

By 2030, almost every CEO expects AI to play a role in business, but 74% of CEOs envision a future where AI only supports or executes under human direction, judgement or governance.

Their reasons are both practical and relatable, which is to keep AI systems secure, ensure productivity in human-AI teams and navigate the ethics of AI decision-making effectively, Cisco says.

Since the first study in 2025, the share of CEOs who said their understanding of AI held them back in the boardroom fell to 57% from 75%. Those who said it blocked informed decision-making dropped to 43% from 74%.

While knowledge and confidence are rising, so is their awareness of what it takes to get this right, Cisco adds.

However, execution is stalling. Infrastructure is not ready, with 48% of CEOs concerned that infrastructure limits will hold them back, even as upgrading infrastructure to handle AI workloads ranks as the top priority for CEOs this year, closely followed by upskilling teams for AI readiness.

Further, trust is still a concern. As CEOs are pushing ahead to make AI agents part of their workforce, and deploying agents is among their top three priorities this year, security and control of these autonomous systems has become their number one concern, Cisco notes.

Data is also still too fragmented to power AI properly. Data quality, accessibility and centralisation issues blocking AI progress currently represent the single greatest barrier, as cited by 36% of CEOs, which was higher than any other barrier they named in the survey.

Cisco’s 2026 AI Readiness Index shows similar trends, with organisations globally facing the same three barriers. This study shows that 22% of businesses rate their network as optimal for AI workloads, 39% feel equipped to secure and control AI agents, and 22% have fully centralised, AI-accessible data.

Meanwhile, in Africa, CEOs approach AI with striking optimism, viewing it as a transformative opportunity rather than a disruption to manage.

“African leaders are seeing this as an opportunity to leapfrog, not just catch up. Optimism alone won't close the gap. Infrastructure, data and trust are what will determine who scales successfully,” says Cisco Africa MD Ossama Eldeeb.

“We are focused on helping organisations across the continent build the secure, AI-ready foundations they need to turn this optimism into results.”