Artificial intelligence is increasingly seen as a key driver for enhancing business revenue, productivity, and operational efficiency. However, a study by CompTIA revealed that business and technology leaders are still grappling with how to effectively integrate AI into their organizations, how to secure AI technologies, and how to finance the necessary infrastructure to support them.
The nonprofit tech industry and workforce association, CompTIA, conducted a survey involving 521 professionals from the business and technology sectors to gather their perspectives on the early stages of AI adoption. Their “Building AI Strategy” survey and report indicated that despite recognizing numerous potential uses for AI across various business functions, many leaders are still trying to figure out how AI technologies can best complement their human workforce.
“A key concern for many organizations is finding the optimal balance between artificial and human intelligence,” noted Seth Robinson, CompTIA’s vice president of industry research, in a statement. “There is an evident desire to boost workforce efficiency through well-thought-out AI implementations and focused training programs.”
CompTIA reports that professionals in business and technology are currently leveraging AI in the following ways:
The majority of survey participants expressed intentions to acquire business tools enhanced with AI capabilities and to invest in AI technology from external providers. A smaller group mentioned that they would be creating proprietary AI tools for internal application. According to the survey, 71% of IT professionals plan to acquire AI-enhanced business tools, compared to 67% of their business counterparts. Regarding purchases from AI vendors, 35% of IT professionals and 32% of business personnel shared this agenda. Meanwhile, 28% of IT individuals mentioned they would work on developing in-house tools, as opposed to 20% of the business group. The prevailing method identified by CompTIA involves AI integration within solutions such as customer relationship management systems, productivity software, and human resources platforms.
Robinson articulated, “These tools are already deeply embedded in corporate processes, and AI will emerge as a significant new element within the intricate solution stack. Typically, an organization will need a fairly limited spread of AI expertise across its entire workforce but will require extensive AI knowledge within specific segments.”
In a survey by CompTIA concerning prevalent AI challenges, large corporations highlighted several issues. In light of these concerns, CompTIA developed an AI Framework, recommending that business and technology leaders focus on developing capabilities in six key areas as AI becomes pervasive in technology infrastructures. These areas include cybersecurity, automatic coding, network architecture, data analytics, systems operations, and staffing adjacent to technology. These fields will be progressively enhanced with AI and machine learning functionalities, necessitating an evolution in workforce skills to align with AI and ML developments. Additionally, CompTIA indicates that cloud computing will play a crucial role in mitigating investment concerns related to supporting AI applications.
“Robinson mentioned that leveraging cloud services or integrated features enables utilization of AI advantages without the necessity to build in-house systems, thereby decreasing potential substantial financial commitments.”