Chief Executives

AI is already helping with the data-heavy parts of a CEO’s job. For example, companies use AI-powered analytics to study sales or costs and spot where to save money ^[1]. Even office tools have AI: Microsoft’s new “Copilot” in Excel lets leaders ask for summaries or charts in plain language ^[1].

Some firms even try “AI observers” in board meetings, where a program listens and offers real-time insights ^[2]. These tools can speed up writing reports or analyzing budgets, but they don’t replace human judgment. The big decisions—like choosing key managers or setting strategy—still need human experience and trust ^{[1] [2]}.

In short, routine report-writing and number-crunching are getting easier with AI, but the leadership and people-skills of CEOs remain very much in human hands.

Whether CEOs adopt AI quickly depends on costs, benefits, and trust. On one hand, powerful AI tools already exist. Many big companies use AI to boost productivity: banks report AI cut the time spent on coding and generating routine reports by 20–30% ^[3].

Rising wages and worker shortages also push leaders to automate more ^[4]. Many CFOs now see AI as a way to increase revenue and efficiency ^[5]. A recent survey even found CFOs expect as much as a 20% jump in cost savings or sales from AI projects ^[5].

However, setting up AI can be expensive and hard. Smaller firms adopt more slowly because they lack technical experts and worry about upfront costs ^[4]. Leaders also worry about errors or fairness in AI decisions ^[5].

Finally, trust and ethics matter: most boards admit they don’t yet have AI experts, and many groups are writing guidelines for safe AI use ^{[2] [5]}. In the end, if AI tools prove reliable and cost-effective, CEOs will use them more. But human skills like judgment, leadership, and values will still be essential.