Salesforce study finds AI rollout accelerating across businesses in 2025

CIOs are taking on more responsibility for guiding business change and helping teams connect AI capabilities with real business needs.

Artificial intelligence is moving out of the pilot stage and into daily business use. Salesforce's second annual Chief Information Officer (CIO) study found that full AI implementation rose 282% worldwide in 2025 compared with 2024.

A year ago, many CIOs were still trying to fix data issues, strengthen security, and test early AI tools. Now the focus has shifted. Companies are starting to run AI across their operations instead of limiting it to small trials.

This shift is also changing what CIOs need to succeed. Technical skills remain important, but many leaders say the job now requires stronger leadership, communication, and change management skills. In the Asia-Pacific region, 96% of CIOs say expanding AI across their organizations has pushed them to develop new abilities.

The CIO's role inside companies is growing as well. CIOs have long worked with CEOs on technology planning. With AI becoming more central to business strategy, they are now helping guide broader decisions about how AI fits into daily operations and long-term plans.

Paul Carvouni, senior vice president and general manager for Salesforce ASEAN, said AI is spreading faster than many earlier technologies. Because of that pace, he said the CIO's role is shifting away from simply managing systems. Instead, CIOs are taking on more responsibility for guiding business change and helping teams connect AI capabilities with real business needs.

CIOs build new skills

The survey shows that CIOs are increasingly focused on skills that go beyond technical work. Many now spend more time helping executives and teams understand how AI may affect the business.

Across APAC, 75% say they have improved their communication and change management skills. Another 55% say they have worked on storytelling and narrative-building, while 53% say they have strengthened their leadership skills.

These changes reflect the growing need to explain AI projects clearly and guide teams through new ways of working.

Data trust still slows adoption despite faster AI deployment

Even with rising AI use, data concerns remain a major issue. CIOs say data security and privacy are the biggest worries linked to AI, followed closely by concerns about whether company data can be trusted.

Yet the study shows some gaps in how organizations are addressing these risks. Only 45% of APAC CIOs say they are working more closely with chief data officers because of AI, and just 15% of IT budgets are directed toward data security.

Confidence in governance is also limited. Only 29% of CIOs say they are completely sure their AI investments include proper data governance.

Companies are also moving more quickly from testing AI to using it at scale. The study found that full AI implementation rose from 11% in 2024 to 42% in 2025.

Budgets are rising along with adoption. CIOs in APAC say about 29% of their AI spending now goes toward agentic AI, systems designed to carry out tasks with limited human input.

Nearly all respondents — 98% — say their companies either already use or plan to use agentic AI within the next two years.

Customer service teams are seeing some of the earliest and most visible uses of AI. About 84% of APAC CIOs say they now work more closely with customer service teams because of AI agents, more than with any other department.

CIOs ranked customer service highest for AI readiness, enthusiasm, and adoption. Data from Salesforce's Agentic Enterprise Index supports that trend. According to Agentforce usage figures, the number of customer service conversations handled by AI agents increased 22 times in the first half of 2025.

Collaboration gaps remain

Running AI across a company often requires several departments to work together. About 80% of APAC CIOs say AI agents increase the need to collaborate with teams such as HR, finance, and sales, though fewer than half say they are currently working together at that level.

At the same time, 96% say AI adoption works best when tools are integrated into everyday work processes. Many also prefer to rely on technology providers they already work with. About 49% say they would rather invest in existing vendors than adopt new ones.

One CIO in the life sciences sector pointed to integration as a key challenge, saying the industry still needs better ways to connect AI tools with the broader technology systems companies already use.

Another survey respondent from the retail industry said part of the CIO's job now involves guiding the business through the hype surrounding AI. They explained that many teams need help understanding both the potential and the limits of the technology. Without that guidance, costs can rise quickly without delivering real value. They added that stronger alignment across departments is also needed so companies can make better use of the data and insights AI can provide.