TLDR: A recent PYMNTS Intelligence report reveals that 77% of Chief Product Officers (CPOs) are leveraging generative AI for cybersecurity, though most still emphasize the need for human oversight. The study highlights Gen AI’s primary role in innovation and ideation, with all surveyed leaders recognizing its effectiveness across various functions. This adoption signals a shift towards AI redefining creative processes rather than solely focusing on automation, while also increasing the demand for analytically skilled professionals.
A new report from PYMNTS Intelligence, titled ‘From Spark to Strategy: How Product Leaders Are Using Gen AI to Gain a Competitive Edge,’ indicates a significant trend among Chief Product Officers (CPOs) in their adoption of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). The study, based on a March 2025 survey of 60 U.S. product leaders from companies with at least $1 billion in revenue, found that a striking 77% of CPOs are utilizing Gen AI for cybersecurity purposes.
Despite this widespread adoption, a key finding, dubbed the ‘paradox of confidence,’ underscores that 77% of CPOs using Gen AI for cybersecurity still require human oversight. This suggests that while confidence in AI’s effectiveness is high, it does not equate to full independence for the technology. Indeed, 100% of surveyed leaders rated Gen AI as effective in at least one function, ranging from chatbots to code generation, even when human review or correction is necessary.
The report highlights that Gen AI’s greatest influence is not primarily in automation or cost-cutting, but rather in transforming how product teams ideate, design, and make decisions. For instance, 64% of CPOs primarily use Gen AI for innovation and ideation, a figure nearly double the share that employ it for production monitoring or quality control. Product leaders in goods and technology sectors, for example, leverage Gen AI to accelerate early-stage creativity, including concept development, prototyping, and visual design. Services firms, conversely, apply it to generate reports, summarize insights, and analyze competitors.
This subtle shift from replacing labor to redefining creativity is reshaping the economics of innovation. The study also reveals a more complex reality regarding AI’s impact on the workforce. Nearly all CPOs reported an increased need for analytically skilled workers, even as some routine roles see a reduction. Among firms with highly automated processes, all reported a reduced need for lower-skilled staff, compared to 79% in less automated environments. This indicates that Gen AI is streamlining repetitive tasks rather than diminishing overall talent requirements.
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Complementing these findings, a Gartner report refreshed with third-quarter data for 2025 emphasizes that CPOs must balance the enthusiasm for Gen AI with robust security measures. Gartner projects that 60% of products will incorporate zero-trust principles by the end of the year. Collaboration with Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) is deemed critical for embedding zero-trust models to mitigate risks associated with rampant Gen AI vulnerabilities. Recent surveys amplify these concerns, with 29% of cybersecurity leaders reporting Gen AI-related attacks on their infrastructure in the past year. This underscores the urgent need for proactive defenses tailored for AI threats, ensuring sustainable growth and stakeholder buy-in.
