Gartner ThinkCast

Many companies cut talent in pursuit of AI value. Now they're discovering what was lost in the process. In this episode, we explore a shift taking place in organizations' AI journeys: after an initial rush to pursue productivity gains and cost savings, many leaders are rediscovering that human expertise is essential to realizing AI's full value. Gartner Senior Executive Partner Denise McCurdy join...

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we explore how executive conversations about AI are rapidly evolving — and why focusing on ROI alone is no longer enough. Drawing from his standout session from Gartner CIO Leadership Forum, VP Analyst Nate Suda unpacks three distinct C-suite perspectives shaping AI strategy today: value, workforce and operating philosophy.   You'll learn: The three critical A...

In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, we dive into what strong leadership really looks like when the path ahead is unclear. From economic disruption to AI-fueled transformation, uncertainty is now a defining feature of the business landscape. Gartner expert Mary Mesaglio returns to offer a succinct and timely playbook. Drawing from conversations with CEOs, CIOs and senior leadership around the glo...

AI is delivering pockets of productivity, but far less business value than expected. In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Distinguished VP Analyst Fran Karamouzis explores why so much AI ROI remains stuck inside organizations, never reaching the bottom line. While many leaders expect gains in individual productivity to translate directly into financial outcomes, legacy processes, siloed structure...

AI is pushing the services industry into a new kind of competitive divide. In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Gartner experts Craig Lowery and Scott Frederick explore the growing split in AI services — where platform-driven, AI-enabled providers are accelerating ahead, and digital-only models are struggling to keep up. From autonomous agents and intelligent service delivery platforms to the ris...

Agentic AI is likely the most hyped technology in enterprise IT, but its long-term potential is still just as real. In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Distinguished VP Analyst Rajesh Kandaswamy breaks down the 2026 Hype Cycle for Agentic AI — what it is, why it matters, and how leaders can separate real opportunity from market noise. From rising investment interest to the challenges of governan...

AI adoption is accelerating fast, but so is enterprise risk. In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, Distinguished VP Analyst Paul Furtado explores the growing reality facing leaders: nearly every organization is investing in AI, yet most expect it to increase their risk profile. Drawing from real-world examples, Paul breaks down how AI can shift from a source of exposure to a powerful driver of res...

Agentic AI is already reshaping how work gets done, and the biggest risk for CIOs isn't failure, it's falling behind. In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner VP Analyst Brandon Germer explains why scaling agentic AI can't be done in silos, and how CIOs must co-lead with other C-suite members to build the financial, operational, and governance foundations for enterprise-wide impact.   You'll learn: W...

AI is accelerating. Threats are evolving. And the pressure on cybersecurity leaders has never been higher. In this episode of ThinkCast, we explore the trends shaping 2026 — where AI adoption, agentic systems, and mounting regulation are pushing security programs to their limits and forcing CISOs to rethink how they operate and where they invest. Gartner experts Chiara Girardi and William Candrick...

Managers are stretched thin, but remain the most powerful voice for employee trust. In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner VP Analyst Alexandra Earl introduces the 4 C's of Manager Communication Competencies: Championing, Coaching, Conversing and Connecting. From helping employees link strategy to daily work, to creating true two-way dialogue, Alexandra outlines a clear framework to elevate communi...

AI hype hasn't disappeared, but patience has.  In this episode of ThinkCast, recorded from the Gartner CIO Leadership Forum Opening Keynote, Gartner VP Analyst Tori Paulman breaks down why many AI initiatives stall after early wins — and what separates CIOs who move through the hype from those who fail to generate lasting value. Hear why organizations making real progress with AI aren't chasing th...

AI is now everywhere, but trust is breaking down just as fast. As synthetic content floods our feeds and workflows, leaders face a new question: when does AI help, and when does it quietly undermine credibility? In this episode of ThinkCast, Gartner Senior Director Analyst Deepak Seth returns to explore a growing counter‑movement: the rise of "AI‑free" trust. From content labels that signal human...

Most AI initiatives don't fail because the technology is wrong; they fail because the humans around it stop thinking as carefully as they used to. In this episode of ThinkCast, recorded from a live session at Gartner CIO Leadership Forum, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Mandi Bishop breaks down why so‑called "soft skills" have quietly become the hardest — and most essential — capability to scale...

AI can answer faster, personalize at scale, and automate entire customer journeys, but it can't make someone feel seen. In this episode of ThinkCast, recorded from a live session at Gartner CIO Leadership Forum, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Don Scheibenreif explores why customer experience breaks down when efficiency overtakes empathy — and what CIOs can do to keep humanity at the center of AI...

In this episode of ThinkCast, we explore one of the most persistent — and evolving — challenges with AI: hallucinations. Gartner Chief of Research Chris Howard breaks down what hallucinations really are, why they happen and what they reveal about how machines think. From multiagent systems to physics-informed neural networks, discover how the next wave of AI innovation is moving beyond prediction...

Most organizations don't have an AI problem — they have a human readiness problem. Despite massive investment and accelerating adoption, most AI initiatives are falling short of real business impact. The reason isn't immature technology. It's that workforces, roles and leaders haven't been prepared for what AI actually changes. In this episode, Gartner VP Analyst Alicia Mullery explains why the ga...

How should software engineering evolve for the age of AI? As organizations rush to weave GenAI and agentic AI into every product and workflow, engineering teams face a new reality: you can't scale AI without redesigning how software gets built.   In this episode, Gartner experts Manjunath Bhat, Akis Sklavounakis and Shameen Pillai break down what that redesign actually looks like. They'll explore...

AI hype isn't slowing down, and for cybersecurity leaders, that's exactly the point. As organizations race to inject generative AI and AI agents into every corner of the business, CISOs face a new challenge: cutting through inflated expectations without getting left behind.  In this preview of the Opening Keynote from Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit, Gartner experts Christine Lee and Lei...

Disinformation isn't just a societal problem anymore — it's an enterprise risk with real operational, financial and reputational consequences. And as AI supercharges the volume, speed and precision of misleading content, leaders are suddenly facing a new kind of threat: one that can't be contained by traditional cybersecurity alone. Distinguished VP Analyst and Gartner Fellow Dave Aron joins us to...

AI is accelerating faster than most IT organizations can keep up, and I&O leaders are feeling the impact. In this episode, Gartner experts Autumn Stanish and Paul Delory break down what AI's rapid rise really means for IT operations, and why doing nothing is no longer an option. Drawing from their Opening Keynote presented at Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference, Aut...

Board presentations are high‑stakes, and most CIOs are still missing the mark. In this episode, Gartner expert Tina Nunno reveals why board members remain uncertain about the value of tech investments, and how CIOs can flip the script with a sharper, simpler, shareholder‑value‑first narrative. Pulled from her recent webinar on board presentation prep, Tina breaks down how to align every message to...

CEOs are entering 2026 under intense pressure. Turbulent markets, geopolitical shifts and the accelerating impact of AI have created a series of "wicked messes" that demand new leadership playbooks. In this episode, Distinguished VP Analyst Don Scheibenreif breaks down Gartner's CEO Agenda for 2026 and what it means for CIOs navigating the same uncertainty. Drawing from his presentation at Gartner...

The future rarely arrives quietly. Disruptions — both anticipated and unexpected — are already reshaping the technology landscape, and CIOs need to be ready before they hit. In a preview of his presentation from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, Distinguished VP Analyst and Gartner Fellow Daryl Plummer explores the pivotal disruptions that could accelerate change faster than most leaders realize. These in...

Although AI is everywhere, most initiatives aren't moving the needle on growth or cost. That's why HR leaders have a new mandate — stop focusing only on the workforce and start redesigning the work itself. In a preview of their Opening Keynote from Gartner HR Symposium/Xpo, Gartner experts Harsh Kundulli and Katie Sutherland reveal how HR can lead the way in three major shifts in work: augment to...

AI-driven layoffs are making headlines, but is AI really the main culprit? Or is the story more complex? As organizations enter 2026, leaders face rising performance expectations, cultural strain, and mounting pressure to deliver productivity gains that rarely materialize. What does this mean for the future of work? In this episode of Gartner ThinkCast, host Alexis Wierenga talks with Gartner expe...