- Three in five organizations are adopting GenAI faster than workers are happy with
- 66% of leaders say taking risks adopting AI is an important step
- Few workers will actually need retraining or upskilling
IBM’s latest research supports the notion that companies are shifting from AI experimentation to implementation, with two in three (65%) UK & Ireland CEOs actively adopting AI agents at scale.
However, growth could be outpacing worker readiness, with 58% pushing their organizations to adopt GenAI faster than some are comfortable with.
It’s a tricky one to balance, though, with many leaders believing their organizations’ competitive edge could rely on how they approach artificial intelligence.
Organizations are going all-in on AI
Two-thirds (66%) say they must take more risks than their competitors to stay ahead, with nearly as many (62%) admitting to investing in technology before fully understanding its value, simply to avoid falling behind. A further 64% of the 2,000 CEOs surveyed from 33 countries believe the productivity gains they could unlock from AI justify the potentially significant risks.
The success of generative AI has spurred on a whole new era of agentic AI – proactive non-human agents are said to be highly effective in decision-making, delivering predictive insights, and other automation and productivity metrics across HR, finance, IT, and customer service in particular.
“As expectations around AI shift towards competitive advantage and quantifiable ROI, CEOs are embracing risk as an opportunity to drive business performance,” IBM Consulting’s UK&I Managing Partner Rahul Kalia said.
While speed is important – both in terms of adoption rates and AI performance – IBM says that companies should also emphasize trust by using explainable AI models, forming strong data privacy and security principles, and adhering to ethical guidelines.
However, AI’s effects on the workforce might not be as drastic as some had previously anticipated. Only 30% of the current workforce will require retraining or upskilling over the next three years, the CEOs said.
Dun & Bradstreet’s UK&I Managing Director, Edgar Randall, added: “Organisations that build responsible AI practices from the start, based on solid data strategies and ethical use, will be best positioned to boost productivity, make smarter decisions, and sustain growth.”
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