C-Suite AI adoption is rising, yet ambition is outpacing enterprise readiness
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CGI global research highlights that AI progress depends on expanding talent and execution capacity
MONTRÉAL, June 18, 2026 /CNW/ - CGI (TSX:GIB) (NYSE:GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, today released the findings of its annual global proprietary research based on discussions with more than 1,800 business and technology executives, of whom the majority are C-level. This year's research highlights a clear market evolution toward digital engineering and reengineering to scale AI and achieve business outcomes. CGI's findings identify three overarching trends shaping business and technology strategies across commercial and government organizations:
- The strategic imperative: Adaptive, resilient organizations. Tech and digital acceleration remain the most impactful macro trend, cited by 70% of executives. The fastest-rising trend continues to be shifts in the world economic order and supply chain reconfiguration, with increasing geopolitical complexity placing greater pressure on organizations to adapt. At the same time, 52% of executives are prioritizing data sovereignty and local cloud strategies, while only 25% rate their operating models as highly agile, reinforcing the need for more adaptive and resilient organizations.
- AI ambition and adoption are outpacing enterprise readiness. GenAI implementation has increased by 30 percentage points over the past two years, while 62% of organizations are now applying AI to core business and operational processes. However, enterprise readiness continues to lag adoption, reinforcing that the digital reengineering of foundational systems, data and operating models is critical to scaling AI and realizing measurable value. While 40% of organizations have an enterprise AI strategy, only 20% extend it across their broader ecosystem. In addition, only 51% quantify the results of their AI adoption.
- Progress depends on expanding talent and execution capacity. Cost pressure remains the number one constraint facing organizations, while 45% of executives say legacy systems significantly challenge their data and AI strategies. Nearly 70% report difficulty recruiting IT talent, with 52% indicating talent shortages materially impact programs and execution capacity. As a result, C-level executives are increasingly shifting toward substantial and selective managed services models to strengthen delivery capacity and support scalable AI-enabled transformation.
"Executives are navigating an environment defined by rising complexity, from regulatory pressures to fragmented systems, while still being expected to deliver measurable outcomes. Our 2026 Voice of Our Clients insights show a clear evolution toward digital engineering and reengineering initiatives, as organizations build new capabilities and modernize legacy environments to scale AI and achieve their digital transformation outcomes," said Tim Hurlebaus, CGI President and CEO. "As we mark our 50-year milestone of innovation and client collaboration, we are focused on building what's next and are uniquely positioned to support this ambition as a trusted, end-to-end partner, combining deep industry expertise, proximity to clients, and a proven AI-to-ROI approach."
Clients are increasingly consolidating toward fewer, trusted partners capable of combining business consulting, systems integration and digital reengineering to deliver end-to-end outcomes. The findings reinforce that without modernized foundations, applying AI to fragmented data, legacy systems and outdated operating models often increases complexity rather than delivering measurable value. This priority is also driving increased demand for selective managed services and consulting capabilities that support how organizations align technology, people and processes to achieve measurable business outcomes.
"With AI adoption accelerating, the priority is now execution and value realization," said Dave Henderson, Chief Technology Officer, CGI. "The opportunity lies in helping organizations move beyond isolated AI use cases toward embedding AI into complex enterprise environments to deliver tangible results and sustainable competitive advantage. CGI's AI-ready approach is designed to make AI real and outcome-focused, helping clients combine strategic human insight with the platforms, data infrastructure, and ecosystem integrations needed to ensure scalable impact."
For additional global insights from the CGI Voice of Our Clients, as well as industry-specific insights, visit cgi.com/voice-of-our-clients.
About CGI Voice of Our Clients
Each year, CGI leaders around the world conduct in-depth, face-to-face interviews with business and IT executives to gather actionable insights on the trends shaping their enterprises. These conversations explore topics including strategy execution, IT modernization, talent management, cybersecurity, data, AI and cloud maturity, regulation, innovation, and sustainability. The insights inform practical roadmaps and are backed by over 1 million data points collected over five years.
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 94,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2025 reported revenue is CA$15.91 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.
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SOURCE CGI Inc.
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2026/18/c1208.html