CEOs’ Biggest AI Fear Is Surprisingly Old School

A majority of CEOs view integrating artificial intelligence with their legacy systems as the top AI risk in the near future. Fifty-two percent of CEOs surveyed by Protiviti, a Menlo Park, California-based consulting firm, reported AI integration with existing technologies as their main concern, highlighting worries of AI investments being relegated to “shelf-ware,” or software that is hardly used. The study, which was released Thursday, surveyed 1,540 board members and various members of C-suites during the early fall. One glaring integration challenge is system compatibility, which happens when companies use outdated technology. This, in turn, can make it hard to scale AI, the report says, mitigating the long-term prospects of AI investment. Having workers assimilate to new technology is the second top challenge, with 42 percent of CEOs reporting their concern about worker readiness. “Executives are concerned that poor integration, combined with an ill-equipped workforce, will neutralize any value proposition and competitive advantage can be gained from AI investments, all while exposing the organization to heightened data and cyber threats,” the report reads. Companies should be thinking more about upskilling workers as they start to introduce new AI systems and technologies, the report argues. Protiviti even suggests that AI could go one step beyond just a tool, becoming “a collaborative co-worker.” The survey nods to other modern risks like emerging challenges with cybersecurity exposure as AI use increases, or the regulatory landscape with AI. Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order that will try to preempt states from propping up their own AI regulatory laws. Trump’s executive order, among other things, will evaluate state laws and attempt to peel those back that the administration deems as being too “onerous,” and will primarily do so through a newly created AI litigation task force. AI isn’t the only thing executives have to deal with. They are just coming off of the heels of the longest U.S. government shutdown and the most hectic tariff policy seen in decades. BY MELISSA ANGELL @MELISSKAWRITES