Innovation, security, AI: what CIOs can expect in 2025

In 2025, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) will face major technological and organizational challenges. Far from being mere IT infrastructure managers, they have become strategic players, guarantors of digital transformation and innovation. Between artificial intelligence (AI)and cybersecurity, talent management and cost control, their role is constantly evolving. What are the main challenges they face? Let's take a closer look.

#1 Artificial intelligence: an unavoidable shift

AI is establishing itself as a key technology for businesses. Already, last year, when writing these lines, we reported on the inevitable rise of artificial intelligence with the arrival of Chat GPT, among other developments. In a study published in September 2024 ¹, the American consulting and research firm in the field of advanced technologies, Gartner, already indicated that: 92% of CIOs believe that AI will be integrated into their organizations by 2025. However, implementing AI remains a challenge. In the same study, nearly half of those responsible for implementing AI struggle to assess and demonstrate the added value that the technology can bring. In 2025, one of the challenges for CIOs will be to tangibly demonstrate the added value that AI brings to the company.

One of the major challenges for CIOs is therefore to adopt a pragmatic approach by integrating AI into concrete projects, such as predictive maintenance or customer personalization. At the same time, data governance will become a priority with the emergence of new regulations. By 2025, 40% of large companies will combine their data governance and AI efforts to avoid legal risks ².

#2 Security and compliance: increased regulatory pressure

Cybersecurity will remain a top priority for CIOs in 2025. With the increase in cyberattacks and new European regulations such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), which came into force on January 17, 2025, and NIS 2 (Network and Information Security), companies must strengthen their defenses.

DORA requires financial entities to ensure their resilience in the face of cyber incidents. As for the NIS 2 directive, it requires critical organizations to secure their supply chain and report incidents quickly. Faced with these requirements, CIOs will need to strengthen their collaboration with cybersecurity managers (CISOs), implement advanced monitoring protocols, and raise awareness of cyber risks among their teams. Proactive threat management will become an essential standard for ensuring business continuity.

#3 Sovereign cloud and FinOps: controlling costs and infrastructure

The rise of the trusted cloud or sovereign cloud will be a strategic issue in 2025, particularly for sectors that handle sensitive data (finance, healthcare, energy). This model allows companies to enjoy the benefits of the cloud while ensuring the security and control of their data.

At the same time, optimizing cloud-related costs is becoming crucial. The FinOps approachapproach, which consists of better controlling cloud spending while maintaining service performance, is gaining ground. On this subject, the CIO of Française des Jeux emphasizes ³ : " Behind the issue of FinOps, i.e., cloud cost control, lies a more difficult question: how do you measure the value added? This is a general consideration that is becoming increasingly important for CIOs, but it becomes essential when moving to cloud-based "opex" models (i.e., recurring and pay-per-use payments rather than investments, editor's note), which require a lively, very strong relationship with the business units in order to empower them." In 2025, CIOs will also explore GreenOpsapproaches aimed at reducing the energy consumption of digital infrastructures.

#4 Streamlining tools and combating shadow IT

A buzzword... But, on closer inspection, not to be taken lightly. With the widespread use of AI tools within companies, who controls what? The term "Shadow IT" refers to the use of tools and technologies (software, services, applications, devices, etc.) by employees without the approval or supervision of the IT department. And companies are, of course, increasingly exposed to the risks associated with Shadow IT... In 2025, this phenomenon will still be a major problem, accounting for nearly 47% of cybersecurity incidents 4.

To counter this threat, CIOs will need to streamline collaborative tools and file-sharing platforms, while raising employee awareness of the risks associated with uncontrolled applications. Strict governance of digital tools will ensure secure exchanges and regulatory compliance.