Artificial intelligence is redefining how enterprises operate – not just delivering efficiencies but unlocking entirely new ways of working, from predictive analytics and automated decision-making to more personalised customer experiences and intelligent supply chains.
Across the UK, AI has moved from experiment to execution. The conversation is no longer ‘if’ but ‘how fast’. Yet one obstacle keeps slowing progress: a shortage of critical technology skills.
According to Expereo’s Enterprise Horizons 2025 report, 44% of UK technology leaders say cybersecurity talent is the hardest to find, 40% struggle to secure networking expertise, and 33% report gaps in data, AI and automation skills. These shortages have become one of the most significant barriers to scaling transformation and realising AI’s potential.
A systemic challenge
These are not short-term gaps. The pattern has persisted since 2024, showing a structural issue that slows digital progress and heightens risk. Cybersecurity shortages increase exposure, networking gaps delay infrastructure modernisation, and weak data capabilities undermine AI reliability.
Why AI raises the stakes
AI ROI depends on strong foundations – secure networks, clean data pipelines, and integrated systems. Each demands specialist skills to build and scale. As these shortages grow, they threaten not just IT delivery but business strategy itself. CIOs face the paradox of being tasked with AI transformation while lacking the talent to execute it.
At Expereo, we see daily how AI ambition outpaces the networks and skills it relies on. Strengthening that foundation is where fundamental transformation begins.
Building talent inside and out
Enterprises are investing on two fronts. Internally, they’re upskilling, cross-training, and developing human skills like collaboration and creativity – slow to show returns but vital for long-term resilience. Externally, many are deepening partnerships: 40% plan to rely more on networking providers and 38% on cybersecurity experts. The combination keeps transformation moving while developing sustainable in-house capability.
The evolving CIO role
As AI becomes a board-level priority, the CIO’s role is evolving from infrastructure owner to strategic architect – balancing risk, growth, and innovation. One in three UK technology leaders says their CEO now works more closely with the CIO than a year ago, and 76% report that AI has raised their board-level profile. Despite predictions of a Chief AI Officer, 87% of organisations haven’t created one, keeping the CIO at the centre of AI strategy.
Navigating the path forward
The UK’s skills gap won’t disappear overnight, but waiting isn’t an option. Success depends on investment in people, stronger partnerships, and empowered technology leadership at board level.
Bridging these skills and infrastructure gaps is how enterprises turn AI from ambition into action. Do that, and AI delivers faster innovation, more intelligent decisions, and greater resilience – the foundations of the next wave of business growth.
