As CIOs enter 2026, the pressure is on: Budgets are flat, headcount is tight, and yet expectations for growth, innovation, and AI adoption are soaring. How can technology leaders deliver impact when resources are constrained and the pace of change is relentless?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner expert Chris Howard walks through the latest CIO Agenda survey results for 2026, as debuted at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo. From navigating geopolitical vendor risk to shifting planning cycles and driving financial impact beyond productivity, Chris shares actionable insights for CIOs looking to lead with agility, manage risk strategically, and push through uncertainty with tenacity.

Tune in to discover:

• Why agility, risk and tenacity are the defining traits of successful CIOs in 2026
• How to pivot from annual planning to dynamic reprioritization
• Why rethinking your vendor mix is critical amid rising digital sovereignty
• How to move beyond productivity gains to deliver measurable financial impact
• What AI adoption means for talent strategies and organizational resilience

Dig deeper:

• Download more insights from the CIO Agenda for 2026
• Join us at a Gartner CIO Conference near you
• See how Gartner is the world authority on AI

As we close out the year, we're bringing you some of 2025's standout ThinkCast episodes. Today's episode, originally released in April, explores how leaders can scale AI using Gartner's "AI tech sandwich":

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we tackle one of the most pressing questions facing executive leaders today: How should organizations approach AI deployment?

Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Whit Andrews joins host Karen Stokes Lockhart to help answer whether leaders should build, buy or blend when approaching their AI integration, while further exploring Gartner's "AI technology sandwich" framework.

Tune in to hear Whit and Karen discuss the multiple layers of enterprise AI, including embedded AI, bring-your-own AI and the critical governance decisions that support a responsible, scalable foundation for IT and tech leaders navigating a complex AI landscape.

Dig Deeper:

• Download the guide to Deploying AI in Your Organization
• Register to attend a Gartner CIO Conference near you

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we explore what customer experience looks like today — a world where your most valuable customers might not even be human. Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Don Scheibenreif joins host Alexis Wierenga to unpack how CEO perceptions, AI agents and machine customers are reshaping CX strategy.

Drawing from Gartner's latest CEO research, Don shares critical insights on the shift in customer expectations, the rapid emergence of autonomous buyers and the emotional impact of AI adoption. Whether you're designing for humans, machines or both, this episode offers a roadmap for getting customer experience right in an AI-first future.

Tune in to discover:

• Why CEOs may not know their customers as well as they think
• What machine customers are and why they matter now
• The key blind spots in AI-driven CX strategies
• How to balance automation and humanity to create trust

Dig deeper:

• Attend a Gartner Conference near you
• Watch more insights on When Machines Become Customers
• Watch the full conversation on YouTube

AI is transforming faster than leaders can rewrite their strategies, and staying ahead requires a new kind of clarity. So how do you move beyond experimentation and hype to build AI that truly delivers business value?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner Director Analyst Deepak Seth joins to explore what's next in AI implementation, including what comes after AI agents. He'll break down where AI really sits on the Gartner Hype Cycle today, why organizations struggle to operationalize new capabilities, and how leaders can stay grounded while still planning for a rapidly shifting future.

Tune in to discover:

• How to overcome the most common implementation pitfalls
• Why value from AI is a journey, not an overnight return
• How to make forward-looking decisions without falling into "wait and see" paralysis
• Why AI agents won't define the long-term future of enterprise AI
• What bold predictions could reshape the next decade

Dig deeper:

• Explore the CIO Agenda for 2026
• Try out AskGartner for more trusted insights
• Become a client to read more about distributed human computing and other future-looking insights

As disruption accelerates and AI becomes indispensable, CIOs and technology leaders face a critical question: How do you harness innovation without losing control?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner experts Gene Alvarez and Tori Paulman walk through the Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026, as debuted at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo. They explore why the pace of change is faster than ever, and how three new "innovation superheroes" — the Architect, the Synthesist, and the Vanguard — can help organizations build resilience, orchestrate intelligent systems and safeguard digital trust.

Tune in to discover:

• Why 2026 marks the end of "optional AI," and what that means for your strategy
• How AI-native development platforms and supercomputing will transform productivity
• Why multiagent systems and domain-specific language models are key to reducing complexity
• How physical AI bridges the digital and physical worlds
• Why preemptive cybersecurity and digital provenance are essential for enterprise protection

Dig deeper:

• Download the full Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2026
• Join us at a Gartner CIO Conference near you
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

As generative AI moves from novelty to necessity, its most profound impact isn't in incremental efficiency — it's in the shockwaves that ripple across industries. These disruptions challenge pricing models, rewrite competitive dynamics and even blur the boundaries between entire sectors. So how do you prepare to create — or counter — these seismic shifts?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Hung LeHong explores the concept of AI shockwaves: what they are, why they matter more than productivity gains, and how organizations can anticipate and harness them.

Tune in to discover:

• Why first-order AI effects aren't enough to drive true disruption
• How shockwaves emerge and the three levels of impact to watch
• What it takes to move from cost savings to market-changing innovation
• Why only 1 in 50 organizations succeed in creating disruption

Dig deeper:

• Learn more about AI shockwaves
• Register to watch the full webinar
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

As AI capabilities surge ahead, human readiness is struggling to keep pace — and that imbalance could derail your path to real value. So how can CIOs and IT leaders navigate this gap and avoid costly missteps?

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, you'll hear the first 20 minutes of the Opening Keynote from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo 2025, straight from the stage in Orlando. Gartner experts Alicia Mullery and Daryl Plummer reveal why the odds of achieving AI ROI remain stubbornly low, and what leaders must do to walk the "golden path" toward sustainable outcomes.

Tune in to discover:

• Why human readiness is the biggest obstacle to AI success
• How to plan for the hidden "transition mortgage" behind AI costs
• Why conversational agents aren't enough
• How to handle vendor selection in the era of digital nation states
• Why a value remix strategy can unlock growth without workforce chaos

Dig deeper:

• Download the Opening Keynote takeaways on AI readiness
• Join us at a Gartner CIO Conference near you
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

Leadership won't get any easier in 2026. Geopolitical volatility, accelerating AI disruption and workforce identity shifts are creating unprecedented challenges for IT leaders. So how can you prepare?

In this mini episode of ThinkCast, recorded at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in Orlando, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Mary Mesaglio sums up the insights from her dozens of onsite conversations with CIOs and top IT leaders. In just four minutes, she breaks down the four challenges shaping IT leadership into 2026, and offers practical strategies to navigate uncertainty with confidence.

Tune in to discover:

• The 4 challenges redefining IT leadership in 2026
• Why optionality matters for decision-making in volatile times
• How AI vendor races complicate long-term technology bets
• Why identity threats demand a new leadership approach

Dig deeper:

• Download the Opening Keynote takeaways
• Join us at a Gartner CIO Conference near you
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

As economic volatility, cost pressure and technological acceleration reshape the finance landscape, CFOs are facing a pivotal identity shift. The instinct to protect the enterprise through tighter controls may no longer serve the moment. So what does it take to lead with resilience and unlock growth?

In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner experts Clement Christensen and Mallory Bulman revisit their Opening Keynote from the Gartner Finance Symposium/Xpo. They introduce the "Catalyst CFO" — a new leadership identity designed for disruption — and explore the eight forces reshaping finance, from AI-enabled decision-making to discontinuous regulatory change.

Tune in to discover:

• Why the "guardian" CFO mindset may be holding your organization back
• The eight forces transforming finance and how to respond
• How AI agents are changing the nature of financial decision-making
• Why identity is the most underutilized leadership tool
• What Catalyst CFOs do differently to drive agility, innovation, and growth

Dig deeper:

• Download the Gartner CFO Report
• Join us at a Gartner Finance Conference near you
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights

As AI capabilities accelerate faster than many organizations can adapt, CIOs are being challenged to balance ambition with readiness. So how can leaders walk the "golden path" to real, sustainable value?

In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner experts Alicia Mullery and Daryl Plummer break down their Opening Keynote from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, and explore how to align both AI readiness and human readiness to capture meaningful outcomes. They discuss why many AI initiatives struggle to achieve ROI, how to measure "good enough" accuracy, and what it means to scale AI maturity without leaving your workforce behind.

Tune in to discover:

• Why only 1 in 5 AI initiatives see real return — and how to change the odds
• How to use the Gartner Positioning System to evaluate readiness
• The difference between conversational agents and autonomous decision-making agents
• Why a value remix may be more effective than workforce reduction
• How aligning tech readiness and human capability unlocks "shockwave" innovation

Dig deeper:

• Download the Opening Keynote takeaways on AI readiness
• Join us at a Gartner CIO Conference near you
• Become a client to try out AskGartner for more trusted insights