survey

While many business leaders are focused on generative AI adoption, board-level engagement on AI remains limited, according to a Deloitte Global report.

The survey of nearly 500 board members and C-suite executives across 57 countries found that only 14% of boards discuss AI at every meeting, while nearly half (45%) have yet to add AI to their agenda.

The report concluded this gap highlights the need for increased oversight as AI, especially generative AI, plays a growing role in business strategies.

The survey found that when AI is discussed, it is primarily handled by full boards (46%) or delegated to risk-related committees (25%).

However, most boards rely on technology leaders like CIOs or CTOs (69%) to guide AI discussions, with only half engaging with their CEO on the topic.

As AI capabilities expand, nearly half of the respondents (46%) expressed concern that their boards are not devoting enough time to AI-related issues.

Despite the growing interest in AI, just 3% of respondents believe their organizations are fully ready for broader AI deployment, while 41% say they are not prepared. This lack of readiness is fueling a sense of urgency, with 44% of respondents calling for a faster pace of AI adoption.

Rick Madan, senior vice president at TEKsystems, said one of the biggest challenges organizations face when adopting AI is that their data is not ready for AI.

“AI thrives on data, but if data isn’t clean, organized and accessible, it becomes a significant bottleneck and risk,” he explained.

He noted organizations often lack a robust data strategy, leading to problems when trying to manage the volume, variety, velocity and veracity of data needed for AI.

“Aligning data sources across departments and systems is necessary to guarantee seamless AI integration,” he said.

Ensuring the company has a strong change management plan in place that maintains transparency with all departments will make a difference.

“It is a seemingly obvious yet overlooked element of AI implementation,” Madan said.

He cautioned a lack of knowledge at the leadership level will trickle down to affect all parts of a company’s AI strategy.

“This is mostly because a lack of understanding will directly lead to a lack of preparedness,” Madan said.

If leaders don’t understand what goes into AI adoption, oftentimes businesses will be left in the lurch due to a lack of talent, training, infrastructure, or SI-partner wisdom.

Looking outside of the development and adoption of AI solutions, leaders who lack AI knowledge do not properly align the tech with actual business goals or outcomes.

Madan said this leads to investing in AI without clear use cases or measurable success factors, resulting in wasted resources or stalled projects.

“AI must instead be woven into a company’s overall strategy with clear definitions of success,” he said.

Prepare, Execute AI Strategy

Organizations that delay integrating AI into their strategic agenda risk falling behind their competitors in innovation, efficiency and customer experience.

These companies may struggle to optimize their business, miss out on valuable data-driven insights, and fail to automate time-consuming processes.

Moreover, without AI, they may have difficulty personalizing their offerings at scale, which can diminish customer satisfaction and erode market relevance.

“This sluggish adoption may also hinder their ability to remain competitive in rapidly evolving industries,” Madan said.

Building Trust, Fostering AI Adoption

Joao Janini, team lead AI engineer at Indicium, said building trust around AI adoption requires transparent communication about the technology’s objectives, benefits and impact on the workforce.

“Companies should involve employees in the implementation process, seeking their input and addressing any concerns they may have,” he said.

Providing comprehensive training and ongoing support helps employees feel confident in using new tools, reducing resistance and fostering a sense of inclusion.

He added companies must address ethical considerations and ensuring data privacy are essential to maintain confidence in AI technologies.

“Establishing clear policies and demonstrating a commitment to responsible AI use can alleviate fears related to misuse or unintended consequences,” he explained, adding leadership commitment is also crucial.

“When leaders actively support and participate in AI initiatives, it signals the importance of the technology to the organization’s future,” Janini said.

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