ScotlandIS has partnered with Bergman Holt to launch today a first-of-its-kind view of the rise of the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role and AI leadership across the UK, with a special lens on Scotland’s opportunity to lead in the digital economy.
The report maps how organisations are developing senior AI roles, what skills matter most, and where Scotland’s tech ecosystem is accelerating.
“We’re at a critical point where AI is no longer a side project – it’s a board-level imperative that will define competitiveness over the next decade,” said Karen Meechan, CEO of ScotlandIS.
“This report gives leaders a practical route to action, grounded in Scotland’s strengths and momentum.”
Why this matters now
AI is becoming a growth engine – a clear majority of Scottish companies now view AI/ML as a critical growth opportunity, with hiring plans to match. Despite tighter cashflow, investment and optimism in AI continues to build, with the CAIO role scaling fast: most UK CAIO appointments have occurred within the last 24 months, signalling a shift from pilots to enterprise adoption.
What’s in the report
This report covers the entire CAIO playbook: where the role sits, partnership with CEO/CIO/CDO, and core responsibilities across strategy, governance, innovation, and change. It includes a guide to the different CAIO personas, matching leadership style to organisational AI maturity, and an AI maturity framework of leadership, opportunity, people, process, systems, metrics, culture, governance.
It also highlights a Scotland focus, diving deeper into the AI skills demand, the vast green data centre potential, and pathways for boards to move from enthusiasm to execution.
Headline stats: Scotland spotlight
- Around two-thirds of Scottish firms now say AI/ML is a critical growth driver (up strongly vs. 2023).
- Approximately 7 in 10 plan to build AI/ML & data capability in-house.
- Scotland has a distinct opportunity to couple AI growth with low‑carbon ‘green compute’ (data centre potential).
You can download the full report here.