By Doug King, CIO of ePlus

As we look ahead to 2025, the artificial intelligence (AI) landscape is poised for significant shifts, particularly in how businesses approach AI investments and measure their returns. Ultimately, the initial buzz around AI -- which was characterized by mass enthusiasm -- has given way to a more measured and pragmatic outlook. In the New Year, CIOs will experience a significant shift in their approach to AI, transitioning from rapid deployment to a more strategic, business-centric implementation. Business and technology leaders alike will be at the forefront of this shift, tasked with aligning AI initiatives more closely with business objectives and demonstrating clear value propositions for each implementation - across lines of business. Companies that can successfully navigate this transition will emerge with more robust and sustainable AI strategies and be better positioned to capitalize on the technology's long-term potential.

Shifts in 2025 will be largely marked by balancing AI's dual role as a defense mechanism and also a possible threat, the evolving roles of the CIO, and the ability and means for businesses to scale for growth. This includes:

1.     An intensified focus on AI's role as both a powerful defensive tool and a potential threat vector

This duality will require organizations to maintain an acute awareness of their cybersecurity attack surfaces and adapt their strategies accordingly. CIOs will need to strike a careful balance, leveraging AI to enhance their security postures while simultaneously developing safeguards against AI-powered cyber threats.

Given AI's evolving capabilities, a nuanced, strategic approach will also be essential to protect against threat actors looking to exploit AI advancements for malicious purposes. As a result, enhancing security postures, while simultaneously exploring the benefits AI can offer will be a key. This could also lead to the emergence of new specializations within cybersecurity, focused specifically on AI-related vulnerabilities and defenses. Further, companies may also increasingly look to managed security services to improve their security postures.

Ultimately, the discourse surrounding AI and cybersecurity in 2025 will reflect an ongoing balancing act between leveraging AI's capabilities for growth and revenue generation while safeguarding against its inherent risks.

2.     A shift in CIO responsibilities, especially around talent acquisition, change management, upskilling initiatives and tech ROI metrics

With a sharp increase of businesses planning to deploy comprehensive transformation strategies in 2025, enterprise business transformation will be a strong area of focus for CIOs in the coming year. This pivot reflects a growing recognition that successful transformation requires an integrated approach that touches every aspect of the enterprise, simultaneously fostering value creation, resilience and maturity across the organization.

The need for effective change management will also intensify, as companies invest in cultural and behavioral transformations to enhance employee engagement and drive innovation. In 2025, this transformation will not just be about implementing new technologies, but also creating a cohesive framework where people, processes, and technology work in tandem to improve customer service and employee experience, while driving strategic growth. CIOs will need to ensure that their teams are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to leverage these technologies effectively, thereby enhancing overall operational efficiency and better aligning workforce capabilities with future needs.

3.     Scaling for growth, both organically and through mergers and acquisitions (M&A)

As organizations continue to pursue growth strategies, the ability to integrate new acquisitions swiftly and effectively becomes paramount. This requires robust and scalable infrastructure and well-defined playbooks that include a plan for technology but also for talent. The ability to evaluate, reconcile and integrate newly inherited technology will be critical to avoid the sprawl and tech debt that often comes with larger acquisitions. In the theme of "1 + 1 = 3", it will be critically important to ensure that the remaining underlying technology foundation supports the scalability and competitive advantage required for future growth of the combined organization.

Lastly, demonstrating technology ROI metrics will become increasingly critical for CIOs in 2025. As IT expenditures rise, it is essential for CIOs to articulate the value derived from technology investments - both human capital and infrastructure - clearly. This involves creating metrics that showcase how technology contributes to business outcomes and enhances both customer and employee experiences. Ultimately, ROI serves as the vital thread connecting all technological initiatives to tangible success, reinforcing the imperative for CIOs to prioritize its measurement and communication.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. King joined ePlus in July 2018, and as CIO is responsible for delivering reliable, agile, and optimized IT systems and infrastructure to align with the Company’s strategic vision. Prior to ePlus, Mr. King served as CIO and SVP of Administration at Landauer, Inc., a former NYSE listed company before being acquired by Fortive Corporation. He has extensive leadership experience and expertise in IT strategy, informatics, product development, infrastructure services, technology assessment, and program implementation. Mr. King holds Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Engineering Management and Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Mathematics, all from Northwestern University.