Gartner Survey Reveals 80% of CEOs Say AI Will Force Operational Capability Overhauls

Eighty percent of CEOs expect AI to force a high to medium degree of change to their operational capabilities, shifting the focus from digital business to autonomous business, according to a survey from Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company. 

“Autonomous business is a strategy where self-learning software agents and machine customers make decisions, take action and create new types of value for organizations. CEOs see this shift as an immediate operational goal,” said Don Scheibenreif, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “While digital business changes what the organization does, autonomous business changes how the organization does it.” 

The Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey of 469 CEOs and other senior business executives worldwide was conducted across three quarters, ending in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The survey found that 54% of CEOs said their automation was limited to specific tasks; by the end of 2028, only 13% expect ...