5 ways you can stop testing AI and start scaling it responsibly in 2026

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• CIOs want to move from AI pilots to enterprise-wide deployment.
• AI must scale safely, responsibly, and with clear, measurable impact.
• Leaders should prioritize infrastructure, skills, governance, and value.

The next 12 months will be when the enterprise gets serious about its AI deployments, with tests and explorations being replaced by production-level services that drive lasting business transformations.

That's the conclusion of Lenovo's CIO Playbook for 2026, produced with tech analyst IDC. The playbook is a research-led guidebook for digital leaders who want to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale deployment.

Also: 8 urgent updates your IT playbook needs to survive the AI era

Lenovo's European CMO Alberto Spinelli explained to ZDNET during a media briefing that the research, which surveyed 800 executives from Europe and the Middle ...