Yes, business leaders are eager to harness generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). And this demand is creating enormous pressure for CIOs and IT professionals, according to Logicalis’ tenth annual CIO report.
Toby Alcock, CTO of Logicalis, explains that CIOs are in a difficult situation. Because while the professions have heard about the advantages of GenAI in terms of productivity and costs, they do not necessarily understand the challenges linked to the adoption of emerging technologies.
“There’s a lot of hype around AI and what it promises,” Alcock told ZDNET. “Business stakeholders see this silver bullet called generative AI and think it can do anything. But that potential often has nothing to do with AI when you look under the hood of vendor products .”
CIOs who want to manage the demand for AI therefore need to have frank discussions with their business colleagues in five key areas.
1. Be clear about what is achievable
Effectively integrating AI into the business is the number one priority for CIOs in 2024. Alcock explains that 89% of IT leaders surveyed in the survey of 1,000 CIOs worldwide want to integrate AI. AI in their organization in 2024 and that 85% of them have budgets allocated to the development of AI.
“This is a big bet considering the wide range of markets, verticals and customers in the survey, with the overwhelming majority all banking on this technology,” says Alcock. “CIOs want to prove that they are at the forefront and using the latest buzzwords and technologies in AI.
However, Alcock has a warning for CIOs: manage demand effectively.
“To be successful, you have to be realistic about the opportunities that AI offers. When we talk to our customers, it’s about being clear about what you can do,” he said. “You need to cut through the hype and quickly deliver tangible business value. Get evidence that will help you target further investments in AI.”
2. Develop AI skills
CIOs also need to ensure their organizations have the skills needed to make the most of this emerging technology. The good news is that the survey shows that 87% of digital leaders have already implemented AI workflows. However, Alcock notes that it is difficult to find good talent in this emerging market.
“Everyone is trying to see how to start investing in skills,” he said. “But, unfortunately, trying to hire data scientists and AI skills is very different from the core business that most of our CIOs are used to, which is managing infrastructure and maintaining business. the company.”
Alcock adds that talented data scientists have a different way of working, and their skills don’t come cheap. “We pay a lot for our data scientists and our clients also spend a lot of money in this area,” he said.
Demand is so high that getting AI talent in-house could be cost prohibitive. Alcock encourages CIOs to look beyond the corporate firewall and consider working with partners, such as vendors, consultants and startups, who already have data talent.
The cost of these initiatives must be reduced by focusing on clear organizational objectives. “I think the key comes from business outcomes – ask how AI will help increase efficiency, create differentiation, improve safety or contribute to sustainability initiatives,” he says. “If you’re implementing AI for the sake of it and you don’t have a true measure of ROI, it’s probably doomed to failure.”
3. Take care of AI governance
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of CIOs are concerned about the challenges of regulating AI. CIOs must find a way to help the company balance its enthusiasm for AI with governance challenges, whether it be ethics, anti-bias, or regulations. future.
“We’re in the Wild West,” Mr. Alcock said. “There are no accepted methods for governing AI and it is an area that is evolving so quickly that a policy written on a piece of paper may no longer be relevant by the time the company uses it.
The survey shows that 86% of CIOs have launched formal AI policies within their organizations, despite the rapid pace of change in the market. These initiatives will help companies master governance as national and global regulations are established.
Alcock emphasizes that CIOs implementing policies need to match business AI use cases with a strong sense of how the data will be used. “Risk profiling comes down to understanding your key data,” he says. “What will this project bring to my business? What data needs to be protected? And how can I prevent this data from being exposed?”
4. Facing the cyber challenge
Increasing cyber threats are compounding data risks. No less than 83% of companies surveyed were victims of a hack in 2023 and only 43% of CIOs feel fully prepared. According to Alcock, AI presents new challenges for CIOs: “People are weaponizing AI and launching targeted, automated attacks against businesses.”
Lack of preparation for new attacks means CIOs must change the way their IT and security teams operate.
“A zero trust model that assumes you are under attack all the time is the right solution,” Alcock said. “This model is about being ready all the time, so that when the next breach happens – not if, when – you are ready, you know how to act, and you can recover quickly and cleanly.”
Alcock encourages CIOs to explore new AI-based tools as part of this Zero Trust approach.
“It’s not about using AI to fight AI. It’s about exploring how AI can help identify threats instantly and reduce downtime without hiring hundreds of people,” he said. “Generative AI will continue to evolve. A lot of money is being invested in AI and security, and the point where they come together is a good point for any entrepreneur.”
5. Keep the business connected
Logicalis research shows that 75% of CIOs believe connectivity infrastructure is a barrier to implementing data-driven initiatives. This focus on underlying IT takes CIOs away from focusing on how to make the most of emerging technologies, such as generative AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things.
“Our data shows that CIOs still spend too much time running systems,” Alcock said. Managing multiple tools, providers, and apps across disparate environments is no easy task. The best way for CIOs to address this challenge is to do so proactively.
“That’s probably the biggest takeaway from our report this year,” Mr Alcock said. “CIOs are now expected to have conversations with the company board about security and compliance, economics, environment, sustainability, reliability and user experience. t involves a wide range of discussions with different stakeholders, so CIOs must continue to strengthen their engagement skills and focus on building effective relationships with their stakeholders.
Source: “ZDNet.com”