U.S. CEOs see AI as force for job creation, survey finds

U.S. business leaders are coalescing around a belief in AI as a force for job creation instead of destruction, according to a new KPMG survey.

Why it matters: The looming uncertainty over the economic impact of AI remains a topic of significant concern for workers.

Zoom in: 89% of U.S. CEOs expect to increase their headcount over the next three years as AI creates more business opportunities, the survey found.

• 86% said they're "redesigning roles, career paths and team structure to reflect human-AI collaboration," while 79% are "hiring new talent with AI and tech capabilities."

• The survey of 400 U.S. CEOs took place from Aug. 11-Sept. 21.

What they're saying: KPMG U.S. CEO Tim Walsh says the path to AI-powered job growth is "directionally very clear," but he warned that serious risks loom — including the threat of cybersecurity attacks.

• "As we put more AI into our processes and platforms, the capacity opens up," Walsh tells Axios in an interview. "What you're seeing there is CEOs being really optimistic that they can actually expand their business, which is going to result in a bigger workforce for them."

Yes, but: 53% of CEOs are still planning workforce reductions in some areas, according to the survey, illustrating the complicated impact of AI on the economy.

Amid swirling chatter about the risks of AI going rogue and attacking infrastructure or critical business operations, the nervousness in the C-suite is palpable.

• 85% of CEOs anticipate cybersecurity threats "will impact their organization's prosperity over the next three years," the survey found.
• CEOs are bracing for something "damaging in a very significant way," Walsh says. "There is an acknowledgement out there — and it's pretty widespread — that you know that something's going to happen."

But that risk also brings an opportunity of a kind as businesses shore up their defenses.

• 48% of CEOs plan to boost their spending on cybersecurity over the next three years.

The bottom line: CEOs are grappling with the complex interplay of opportunities and threats that comes with the arrival of dynamic AI systems.