CIOs Turn to Low-Code and AI to Meet Rising Business Demands, Kissflow Report Finds

Chief information officers (CIOs) worldwide are embracing low-code platforms at record levels, with 86% now considering them essential to their technology strategies, according to Kissflow’s 2025 CIO Low-Code Strategy Pulse Report. The findings highlight how enterprises are leveraging both low-code and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate digital transformation amid skills shortages and mounting IT backlogs.

The research shows that AI is becoming a critical force multiplier. More than half of CIOs surveyed (55%) said the technology will dramatically increase the number of applications developed in the coming years. This shift reflects growing pressure on IT departments to deliver faster, leaner, and more scalable solutions.

A parallel trend identified in the report is the rise of “citizen development,” where non-technical staff are building applications with minimal IT oversight. Operations (33%), finance (25%), and human resources (23%) were cited as the top departments driving this business-led innovation, signalling a move toward decentralised application development.

“Traditional, IT-only development models simply cannot keep pace with modern business needs,” said Prasanna Rajendran, vice-president at Kissflow. “In the Middle East, this trend is even more pronounced as governments, banks, and energy companies accelerate digital transformation. CIOs here are looking for ways to scale innovation without adding to IT complexity or cost.”

Cost efficiency remains a key priority. The report notes that 57% of CIOs measure low-code success by reduced development costs. When choosing platforms, AI capabilities were rated the most important differentiator (34%), ahead of total cost of ownership and system integration.

Key drivers for adoption include executive pressure to speed up digital initiatives (27%) and the need to address overwhelming application backlogs (26%). The most common use cases are workflow automation and approvals (71%), legacy system modernisation (48%), and extending functionality in ERP or CRM systems (45%).

In the Middle East and Africa, adoption is accelerating sharply in heavily regulated sectors such as government, banking, insurance, and energy. While governance and integration challenges remain, CIOs see AI-enabled low-code platforms as a way to overcome development bottlenecks and empower business teams.

“With AI and low-code, enterprises in the region can leapfrog traditional barriers and enable secure, scalable innovation,” said Suresh Sambandam, CEO of Kissflow.

Founded in 2004, Kissflow provides low-code and no-code tools that allow business users to automate processes and develop applications quickly. The platform is used by global companies including Pepsi, McDermott, and Motorola Solutions, and has been recognised as an industry leader by Gartner, Forrester, and G2.

As enterprises worldwide seek to balance speed, security, and cost, the report suggests that low-code platforms—supercharged by AI—are set to become a cornerstone of modern business technology strategies.