Gartner says CIOs must prioritize AI goals and AI readiness scenarios for the next 12-24 months

October 18, 2023 - Gartner stated that artificial intelligence (AI) is a huge transformation in the way humans interact with machines, especially the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (generative AI). As AI moves from a pure IT initiative to an enterprise-wide initiative, chief information officers (CIOs) and IT executives need to focus on two key areas.  

Mary Mesaglio, distinguished research vice president at Gartner, said: "Generative AI is not just a technology and business trend, but a profound shift in the way humans and machines interact. Humans are changing their thinking from what machines can do for us to what machines can do for us. What can become of us. Machines are constantly evolving from human tools to human teammates. Gartner predicts that by 2025, generative AI will become a partner of employees in 90% of the world’s enterprises.”    

"CIOs play an important role in how AI is shaped and how AI shapes us," said Don Scheibenreif, distinguished research vice president at Gartner. "According to Gartner's recent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Survey, CIOs are the number one choice for CEOs to unlock the value of generative AI. "

Gartner analysts said that in the next 12-24 months, priority should be given to mining the value of AI from two aspects - determining AI goals and ensuring AI readiness .

Determine AI goals

AI is divided into two types:

• Everyday AI : Focused on productivity. Machines are “partners” in solving production problems. It allows employees to complete the tasks at hand more quickly and efficiently. Currently, 77% of CIOs and technology leaders around the world are paying attention to the opportunities brought by everyday AI. Mesaglio said: "It is important to note that everyday AI will go from high-end to mundane at an alarming rate. Everyone will have access to the same tools, so this type of AI technology will not bring sustainable competitive advantage. Everyday AI is on the table new chips.

• Disruptive AI : Mainly focused on creativity. Mesaglio said: “It won’t just speed up or optimize our work. Through AI-powered products and services, it can also create new results or open up new ways to create new results, such as new AI-powered products. Core Competencies. Through disruptive AI, machines will revolutionize business models and entire industries.”

  
  

Scheibenreif said: "Increasingly, AI will be delivered by IT and the entire enterprise. To be successful, the entire executive team must be involved, and this is a significant opportunity where CIOs can make a difference."

CIOs can help CEOs and other fellow executives navigate the complexities of AI and determine the organization’s AI goals by analyzing the opportunities and risks of using generative AI in areas such as the back office, front office, new products and services, and new core capabilities (see figure 1).

Figure 1 : Gartner AI Opportunity Radar

Source: Gartner (October 2023)

Make sure your AI is ready

"As AI continues to profoundly change the relationship between humans and machines, CIOs must proactively shape the nature of this change," said Scheibenreif. "In this new era of human-machine interaction, there will be many unintended consequences."

Mesaglio said: "AI technology decision-making is not just a technical decision, but also a technical, economic, social and ethical decision. In order to guide their organizations to make AI-related decisions, CIOs and IT leaders need to develop lighthouse principles-clear An AI vision that points the way forward and illustrates acceptable and unacceptable human-machine relationships.

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But few organizations have formulated lighthouse principles and have a clear vision for AI. In June 2023, Gartner surveyed 606 CIOs and technology leaders and found that only 9% of enterprise organizations had formulated an AI vision statement, and more than one-third of the respondents had no plans to formulate an AI vision statement.

To quickly and safely adopt generative AI in the next 12 months, organizations must do the following:

• Develop AI readiness principles: The set lighthouse principles must be consistent with the organization’s values. An organization's values ​​must be the beacon that guides the uncharted waters of human-computer interaction.

• Ensure data AI readiness: To make data AI ready, it must meet the five criteria of security, richness, fairness, accuracy, and compliance with the Lighthouse Principles.

• Implementing AI- ready security : For every beneficial AI technology that emerges, there are also malicious uses of that technology. This is the negative impact of AI. CIOs should prepare for new attack vectors and work with their executive teams to develop actionable usage policies for public GenAI solutions.

  
  

“In this age of AI-driven business, we need to plan ahead or there will be unintended consequences,” said Scheibenreif. “CIOs need an approach that illuminates the way forward, even if everything seems new or obscure. To safely navigate this transformation, CIOs must work with executives to define goals for everyday and disruptive AI use and establish AI-ready principles, data and security.”