On the inside looking in

CIOs get serious about closing the skills gap — mainly from within

For CIOs, IT staffing is a little like going to the dentist: You know it’ll be painful, but you’ll feel better once you deal with it. Today, filling the skills gap has become a top priority as leaders grapple with the pace of technological change. The most strategic CIOs aren’t just plugging holes but also redefining how their organization is building future-ready, resilient teams.

In most cases, upskilling/reskilling is the answer, enabling IT leaders to grow talent from within, on top of recruiting and outsourcing efforts. Regardless of approach, there’s no question the need to address skills gaps is essential, especially for companies seeking AI and machine learning (ML) expertise.

MCP is enabling agentic AI, but how secure is it?

MCP is becoming the plug-and-play standard for agentic AI apps to pull in data in real time from multiple sources. The Pulse MCP server directory currently lists more than 4,300 active MCP servers allowing LLMs to connect with data feeds ranging from Spotify and YouTube, to Salesforce and GitHub. The momentum behind the protocol will likely accelerate adoption as developers coalesce around a common standard, and alternatives struggle to gain traction.

However, this also makes it more attractive for malicious actors looking to exploit weaknesses in how MCP has been deployed. This is especially relevant where MCP is being used to access external third party data sources. Although not related to this particular technology, the recent cyber attack on UK retailer Marks & Spencer was due to a weakness in one of its supplier’s IT systems. The error wiped almost nearly a billion dollars (£750 million) for the company’s market capitalization, and is expected to knock nearly half a billion off operating profits this year.

Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation

Avery Dennison’s culture-first approach to AI adoption has paid off considerably in productivity and financial gains for the global labeling and RFID solutions manufacturer.

The company’s program to drive AI use throughout the enterprise, emphasizing “humans in the loop,” engaged more than 250 company executives and 1,000 employees in over 20 AI pilot projects in 2024.

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