Only 26% of Chief Data Officers are confident their organisation's data can support AI-enabled revenue streams, despite 81% prioritising investments to accelerate AI capabilities. The findings come from an IBM Institute for Business Value study of 1,700 CDOs across 27 countries and 19 industries.

The research highlights a significant gap between AI ambitions and organisational readiness. Data accessibility, completeness, integrity, accuracy and consistency remain major barriers to leveraging enterprise data for AI initiatives, according to the study.

IBM claims 81% of surveyed CDOs report their data strategy now integrates with technology roadmaps and infrastructure investments, up from 52% in 2023.

However, only 26% express confidence in using unstructured data to deliver business value. The study notes 81% of respondents bring AI to data rather than centralising it.

While 92% of CDOs say they must focus on business outcomes to succeed, only one-third strongly agree they can clearly convey how data facilitates business results.

Just 29% have clear measures to determine the value of data-driven business outcomes, according to the study.

The research indicates deploying data for competitive advantage has become the top CDO priority, surpassing governance and security as core responsibilities.

IBM reports 84% of surveyed CDOs say their unique data products have provided significant competitive advantages, with 78% citing proprietary data as a top strategic objective.

AI agents present governance challenges

The study found 80% of leaders have started developing diverse datasets to train AI agents. However, 79% admit being early in defining how to scale and govern them.

Despite governance uncertainties, 83% believe potential benefits of deploying AI agents outweigh risks. Some 77% are comfortable with their organisation relying on AI agent outcomes.

Attracting, developing and retaining talent with advanced data skills is now a top challenge for 47% of CDOs, up from 32% in 2023.

The research indicates 77% of leaders struggle to fill key data roles. Only 53% say recruitment efforts deliver needed skills and experience, down from 75% in 2024.

While 82% of CDOs say data is wasted without employee access, and 80% cite data democratisation as enabling faster organisational movement, fostering a data-driven culture remains a top strategic challenge.

The study was conducted between July and September 2025 in cooperation with Oxford Economics.