CEOs Name AI Expertise A Top Board Recruitment Priority

The Conference Board’s 2026 CEO outlook finds 30 percent of global CEOs now cite AI as the leading factor that could negatively affect their business, while 28 percent of boards name AI expertise a top recruitment criterion for new directors, up sharply from prior years. Enhancing internal AI expertise and workforce adoption culture rank as the top two AI priorities CEOs cite for the year ahead.

Reported by: The Conference Board

Norm's Take

Boards that treat AI literacy as a niche technical qualification rather than a core fiduciary competency will find themselves outpaced by peers who have already reweighted their director search criteria around it.

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Norm Murray, CEO and Founder of Norm E. Murray
About the author
Norm Murray
AI Leadership Advisor · Psychologist · Economist
Norm advises CEOs, boards and senior leaders on the psychology and economics of AI adoption: what AI does to leaders and organizations, not just what it does. He has led global businesses across multiple continents and writes The Norm Report for executives navigating the AI shift.
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