Blazing the AI trail

Revolutions take evolutions

After Edison invented the light bulb, it took 80 years for electricity to become commonplace. But it fundamentally changed the way we work, live, and play and revolutionized the burgeoning industrial age.

History is repeating itself with AI. Like Edison and the electricity pioneers who followed him, today's CDAOs are data and AI trailblazers, and they are actively evolving change. Deloitte's 2026 CDAO Survey shows how, asking about challenges these leaders face and what they think needs to be done to accelerate AI adoption and fully leverage the value of data and analytics.

5 key survey takeaways

More influence, people, and projects: CDAOs are leading AI’s revolution.

A position that didn’t exist 25 years ago, the CDAO is leading organizational shifts needed to harness data and AI possibilities—and help maximize measurable value.

Most of surveyed CDAOs (78%) say AI has led them to have more power as decision makers today, and 63% describe themselves as the primary drivers of data and analytics decisions.

1. CDAOs are ascending as organizational trailblazers with a vision.

The CDAO’s role is evolving quickly and dramatically as their influence among stakeholders grows. Thanks to today’s compounding data management needs, AI adoptions, and investments, CDAOs are finding themselves in the driver’s seat and they are pushing the envelope.

Every trailblazer is apt to buck the system a bit or they wouldn’t be trailblazers, but this group appears to know how to maneuver within their organization.

2. It’s Business 101 with a focus on value.

Even though AI adoption is maturing, we are still in the early days of its evolution. CDAOs are sold on AI’s potential to drive value and are under pressure to make the business case for it.

Metrics for measuring the value of AI initiatives are crucial. Most CDAOs (64%) work at companies that have key performance indicators (KPIs) for benchmarking AI success. More than half (53%) measure the business value of AI with direct monetary returns on investment (ROIs). 

3. The value of data can’t be overlooked: It’s the engine.

Data is an asset that must be leveraged. Even though data modernization has momentum, there’s much more work to be done: 78% of organizations are actively implementing data modernization with AI, and 22% have plans but have not implemented yet. 

4. Every trailblazer hits a few bumps in the road. Here’s where there’s work to be done.

While CDAOs are nearly unanimous in their enthusiasm that AI can lead to giant leaps in productivity, they also acknowledge there’s much work to be done to fully realize AI’s potential in their own organization. CDAOs are aiming at five key challenges as their AI adoptions begin to evolve:

• Scaling AI;
• Investing in upskilling and training workers;
• Developing their leadership skills;
• Building and retaining high-performance teams; and
• Creating governance policy.

5. The future is bright for CDAOs.

Today’s CDAOs have a long tenure with their organizations—debunking the myth that the position is a revolving door.

More than a third of survey respondents (34%) expect to work as the CDAO for up to 10 years or longer. Just over a fourth (28%) project a five-year tenure, and more than half (56%) say they expect to someday retire in their CDAO role. Only 9% have plans to leave their position or switch careers soon.