It’s Time to Get More Serious about AI!|Part 2

Part 2: Three Types of Business AI Adopters

There are three typical maturity stages in how companies evolve to determine business strategy and scope of AI implementation:

This stage involves individual employees experimenting with various AI tools in their work. Companies and employees proceed with caution, dipping their toes in the water as a temperature check and testing some initial use cases.

Companies need to be aware of the risk of becoming “trapped” by playing with tools or unfocused dabbling.

Alexis Zamkow, a Global AI Leader at IBM, notes that in the experiment stage, companies should focus on four things:

At this stage, teams conduct focused pilot projects.  It’s best to find quick wins in select areas. Rather than using single tools, consider orchestrating multiple tools (or agents) working together on key processes.  It’s wise to take on a manageable number of pilots, as poorly planned pilots can waste resources and reduce the probability of success. Identify an AI team or committee to help in planning and governance.

Zamkow suggests focusing on these four priorities in the embrace/pilot stage:

This is when companies commit capital, establish a clear plan, and set ambitions to take AI to the next level. Companies get strategic about AI, taking steps to integrate and scale. This involves deeply embedding AI into the heart of the organization and even reengineering processes across business functions. Ensure you have the foundational building blocks and pillars in place. Keep in mind the six key transformation success factors.

As AI capabilities mature, Zamkow recommends a shift to:

c) adjusting operating models and roles for partners/agencies.