A VALONA INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH STUDY

AI in CMI: time for an honest conversation

The AI-focused follow-up to the Global Intelligence Report 2026 is here — part of the benchmark Valona has run since 2005.

Real data from the people behind the practice. Or the prompts. (We’re about to find out which.)

Take 10-minute survey

The premise

Depending on who you follow, AI is either about to run the entire intelligence team, or it’s just a very expensive way to summarize the news, poorly. Both takes contain some truth, but neither helps much if you’re the one deciding what your team does next.

That’s where you come in. We’re guessing you know some things all the hot takes don’t. Which tasks AI quietly took off your plate so you can focus on the strategic work you’ve always loved. Why you still wouldn’t let it anywhere near the board deck. Whether this has freed up your time for more intellectually fulfilling work… or made you a glorified AI copyeditor.

Most importantly, we’d love to know where you think this is heading. You’re better placed to speculate than anyone else.

Why its own edition

Valona has run the Global Intelligence Survey every two years since 2005, to keep a finger on how intelligence teams actually work. The Global Intelligence Report 2026 was the most recent result.

In the last edition, 43.8% of teams said they were using AI for market intelligence. But the number that stuck with us was a different one: more than a fifth couldn’t say what their AI investment plans were for the year ahead. Not no plans. No idea.

A field that unsettled doesn’t hold still for two years. So this time, AI gets its own edition, shorter, but with enough room to get past the headline numbers and into what’s happening beneath the surface.

Who we’re asking and what they get

If you’re a person who produce intelligence you’re in the right place. Maybe you lead a CMI team. Maybe you’re the analyst everyone routes their quick questions through. Maybe market and competitor work is one part of your broader strategy role. Titles vary; it’s the work we’re interested in.

As a thank you for your contribution, you will receive an exclusive first look at the findings once we publish. Your answers stay confidential, show up only in aggregate or as anonymized quotes, and nobody will try to sell you something afterward.