A recent Gartner survey revealed that only 4% of technology leaders have established plans to redesign positions for a workforce that combines human talent with autonomous agents. This modest proportion highlights a growing gap between current staffing strategies and the emerging expectations of AI-enhanced collaboration.
The research, which gathered responses from 2,002 chief information officers and other senior technology executives, was compiled for the 2027 CIO and Technology Executive Agenda report. By reaching such a broad sample, the study provides a detailed snapshot of senior IT decision-makers’ readiness for the next wave of automation.
According to the findings, organizations that have already mapped out role changes for a human-agent workforce are 2.4 times more likely to be top performers with AI and have their CEOs report value from AI. This correlation suggests that proactive role planning may be a strong indicator of overall AI success.
Alicia Mullery, a vice-president analyst at Gartner, warned that a workforce that lacks preparation for working alongside AI agents and appropriate governance structures will inevitably drive up operational costs. She emphasized that without clear guidelines, companies risk inefficient deployments and budget overruns.
The chief information officer’s agenda has broadened in recent years as businesses ask tech executives to not only keep watch over IT modernization, budget discipline, AI experimentation, and broader business outcomes but also play a more active role in workforce strategy. The blitz has led many CIOs to place talent on the back burner.
Costs are top of mind, with 58% of leaders reporting increased demand from their companies to deliver cost improvements from prior AI investments, according to Gartner. Pressure is coming from the CEO, boards, and leadership, as CIOs are asked to show swift returns. “I think we’ve passed the time of endless scale,” Mullery said.
Pressure alone has failed to translate into meaningful value, according to Gartner, as just 13% of CIOs are reporting significant or transformational value from their AI investments. Because of the project value conundrum, many CIOs have invested less time and resources into workforce redesign. “There is so much that’s a top priority that I think sometimes technology, the cost of it, managing that out, can overshadow some of the talent pieces because it’s not as immediate as an expensive bill that’s coming in,” Mullery said.
Mullery suggested that CIOs can play a key role in communicating the importance of addressing AI’s effect on the workforce, from the scope shift of specific roles to salary trends, especially as AI scales across the enterprise.
