IBM Study: CEOs are Reshaping C-suite Roles for the AI Era

• 76% of surveyed organizations now have a Chief AI Officer, up from 26% a year ago

• 59% of CEO respondents say the CHRO’s influence will increase over the next few years

• Nearly two-thirds of surveyed CEOs are comfortable using AI to help inform major strategic decisions

ARMONK, N.Y., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A new global study from the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value finds that the accelerating pace of AI is pushing CEOs to redesign how C-suite roles are structured to drive greater business impact across the enterprise.

In the foreword of the study, IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn writes, “The CEO’s role has always been to lead through disruption. What AI changes is the velocity and consequences of leadership. Enterprises that succeed will operate AI-first – not as a layer of technology, but as a new operating model. Decision cycles will compress. Boundaries between functions will dissolve. Advantage…