Security pros are getting increasingly stressed by AI expectations from their bosses

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CIOs are getting benefits from AI technology, but also increased stress

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Business heads are expecting AI to work miracles within their security teams, mounting the pressures faced by already shorthanded and under-skilled security pros, new research has claimed.

A report from IDC and Expereo found 60% of CIOs saying the inclusion of AI within their security strategy has boosted their personal reputation, but 47% also say that their board has unrealistic expectations of the technology.

However, while enhancing their personal reputation could be a silver lining, 39% of respondents said that their elevated profile made their job more stressful.

AI-nxiety

Some businesses are considering introducing a ‘Chief AI Officer’ to manage the implementation of AI technologies and the opportunities and advantages they offer, but 40% of those surveyed believe that the CAIO role would gradually absorb many of the CIO responsibilities within two years.

A further 38% also fear that AI could potentially replace their role, or a role within their team, and it’s not just reserved for IT roles, with 46% stating that jobs outside of the IT sector are at risk of being replaced by automation.

“Technology leaders are at the forefront of driving innovation and transformation in their organisations, but they also face significant challenges and pressures from the business and the board," noted Expereo CEO Ben Elms.

"It’s vital that CIOs align with their CEOs to ensure they are given the proper support by their stakeholders, teams and their external partners, to help them make the most of a challenging but exciting technology landscape.”

There are positive opportunities presented by AI, with business leaders remaining optimistic about the future of technology. 68% of business leaders stated that this is the most exciting time to be in their role, with an additional 71% believing that their current tech strategy will support growth and efficiency gains.

But with these opportunities, it is expected that the role of technology leaders will expand to encompass more responsibilities within businesses, such as orchestrating digital transformation and discovering ways of generating digital revenue in order to justify ROI for budget increases. The report also found that currently, just 7% of respondents have to justify the ROI on budget increases, but this is expected to rise to 12% within two years.

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for close to 5 years, at first covering geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division). Benedict then continued his studies at a postgraduate level and achieved a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Benedict transitioned his security interests towards cybersecurity upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, focusing on state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.