CXOTalk CIO Advice on AI: How Chief Information Officers Can Lead in 2025 | CXOTalk #898
Oct 21, 2025
Tim Crawford, a CIO strategic advisor and industry analyst, shares insights on how AI is reshaping the CIO landscape. He discusses the critical need for CIOs to break free from AI pilot purgatory and align projects with tangible business outcomes. Tim highlights the importance of innovation over mere efficiency and offers strategies for measuring ROI accurately. He stresses the necessity of cross-functional relationships and governance to ensure AI initiatives are successful and warns against automating flawed processes.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
AI Changes CIO Decision-Making
- AI gives CIOs access to new, automated insights that enable faster, more accurate business decisions.
- These insights change IT priorities across cyber, service, and contact center operations.
Start With Efficiency, Chase Transformation
- Use AI for efficiency first, then shift quickly to transformational innovation projects you couldn't do before.
- Focus on business outcomes, not the technology badge, when choosing AI initiatives.
Measure Early And Train For Adoption
- Define business outcomes and metrics before piloting AI and kill experiments that don't prove the hypothesis quickly.
- Pair AI rollout with training and change leadership to ensure adoption and avoid failure.