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new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value has found that CEOs believe remaining competitive in the age of AI demands taking significant risk .

Sixty-eight percent of Middle East CEOs surveyed agreed that the potential productivity gains from automation are so great they must accept significant risk to stay competitive . Meanwhile , 46 % of respondents are determined to take more risk than the competition to maintain their competitive edge .

The CEOs surveyed in the study , Six hard truths CEOs must face : How to leap forward with courage and conviction , are looking to disrupt their own ways of working , accelerating the pace of change . To win the future , 62 % of global CEOs said they must rewrite their organisational playbook , while 56 % of Middle East CEOs think competitive advantage depends on who has the most advanced Generative AI ( GenAI ). active ecosystem engagement and actionable enterprise metrics .

In addition , the report notes that CEOs need to tackle six hard truths to outperform their competition in the age of GenAI :

1 . Your team isn ’ t as strong as you think . While CEOs are generally optimistic about their organisation ’ s readiness for GenAI , hiring challenges present a warning sign . The survey shows 42 % are having difficulty filling key technology roles . 2 . The customer isn ’ t always right . While 80 % of global CEOs find transparency around the adoption of new technologies critical to fostering customer trust , only 30 % of Middle East CEOs identify customer experience as a key measure of their organisation ’ s enterprise transformation . 3 . Sentimentality is a weakness when expertise is in short supply . Sixty-nine percent of ME CEOs say they have the right network of partners to execute their strategy , while 61 % believe changing strategic priorities demand reconfiguring core business partnerships . 4 . Sparring partners make the best leaders . CEOs must create a culture that encourages emphatic debate and constructive collaboration . 5 . People hate progress . Globally , 64 % of CEOs believe that succeeding with AI will depend more on people ’ s adoption than the technology itself . Nearly half ( 49 %) of ME CEOs say their organisation must take advantage of technologies that evolve faster than people can adapt , and 69 % say they are pushing their organisation to adopt GenAI faster than some employees find comfortable . 6 . Tech shortcuts are a dead end . ME CEOs view a focus on short-term performance as the top barrier to innovation in their organisations , while 66 % of global CEOs are meeting shortterm targets by reallocating resources from longer-term efforts . x

“ There is a shift in mindset among leaders , where the benefits associated with the adoption of advanced technology , such as GenAI , are seen to outweigh the risks . By embracing automation across their operations , organisations can accelerate innovation and future-proof their offerings ,” said Saad Toma , General Manager , IBM Middle East and Africa .

The study has identified six key capabilities and characteristics that are helping CEOs prepare for the future . These include effective strategy development , expertiseled differentiation , robust technology foundation , outcomes-focused investment ,

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