Thirty-seven percent of organizations have implemented some form of AI, says a Gartner Survey. Gartner, with headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, is a global research and advisory firm. It provides advice, insights, and tools for leaders in HR, finance, IT, and several other areas.
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.
In spite of talent shortages, the percentage of businesses employing AI increased by 270% over the last four years. Over the past year alone, the number has tripled, says Gartner’s 2019 CIO Survey.
While organizations across all industries use AI in a range of applications, they also struggle with serious talent shortages.
Chris Howard, distinguished research vice president at Gartner, said:
“Four years ago, AI implementation was rare, only 10 percent of survey respondents reported that their enterprises had deployed AI or would do so shortly.”
“For 2019, that number has leapt to 37 percent – a 270 percent increase in four years. If you are a CIO and your organization doesn’t use AI, chances are high that your competitors do and this should be a concern.”
Gartner Survey – purpose
The purpose of the Gartner Survey was to help IT leaders, including CIOs, set and validate their management ideas for the next 12 months. Gartner researchers gathered data from over 3,000 CIO respondents. They came from 89 nations, worked in all major industries, and represented $15 trillion in revenue and public-sector budgets. They also represented $284 billion in IT spending.
The letters CIO can mean either Chief Information Officer or Chief Investment Officer. In this article, the term refers to Chief Information Officer. CIOs are responsible for the management of a company’s technology.
AI deployment
AI deployment has increased from 25% last year to 37% today, the Gartner Survey showed. As AI capabilities have matured so have executives’ willingness to embrace the technology.
Mr. Howard added:
“We still remain far from general AI that can wholly take over complex tasks, but we have now entered the realm of AI-augmented work and decision science — what we call ‘augmented intelligence.'”
CIOs now realize that task automation and sustainable digital transformation go hand in hand. Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of all digital strategies. Companies are using it in many different applications.
The Gartner Survey showed that 52% of telco organizations deploy chatbots. It also showed that 38% of healthcare providers today rely on computer-assisted diagnostics. AI is also being used for consumer fragmentation and fraud protection.
Regarding working with AI, in a press release, Gartner explains:
“The more enterprises work with AI, the clearer the deployment challenge becomes. Fifty-four percent of respondents to a Gartner Research Circle Survey view skill shortage as the biggest challenge facing their organization.”
Invest in training programs
Mr. Howard said:
“In order to stay ahead, CIOs need to be creative. If there is no AI talent available, another possibility is to invest in training programs for employees with backgrounds in statistics and data management. Some organizations also create job shares with ecosystem and business partners.”
