Threat or opportunity?

Artificial intelligence (AI) will transform the way companies operate in a relatively short time. This is an issue about which there is little debate among the business leaders surveyed. What is more, the vast majority see it as an opportunity rather than a threat. The interviewed executives feel that AI will have a big influence on competition, but they also think that the technology will be available to basically everyone, so it will only affect competition in the longer term.

Only a third of executives consider themselves to be ready for AI. More than half of them aren’t satisfied with the current level of AI use at their company. The main challenges are that the technology is so new and rapidly transforming that there aren’t really experts to help companies. Business leaders are afraid to take decisions, because they fear that by the time a development is implemented, it will become obsolete and there will be better solutions available. Perhaps the most interesting chapter of the research was the purpose of using AI. Improving efficiency was the primary objective, but what is surprising is that the focus wasn’t on optimising business processes, but on increasing the efficiency of workforce. It is noteworthy that in the absence of real experts in the field, managers are looking to their own innovative-minded employees to play a role in the corporate adoption and implementation of AI. //