Organizations to Double the AI Projects within Next Year - Gartner Survey

Gartner carried out a survey which revealed a lot of things about organizations working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

The survey results by the Gartner noted 59% of respondents have deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. Surveyed organizations noted on an average they have four AI/ML projects.

In December 2018, Gartner conducted an “AI and ML Development Strategies” study. The online survey composed of 106 Gartner Research Circle Members.  A Gartner-managed panel composed of IT and IT/business professionals in Europe, the U.S., Canada, Asia/Pacific, and Latin America, says the announcement. Participants were either IT or from the business roles, notes the announcement.

Executive Opinion

Research vice president at Gartner, Jim Hare said, "We see a substantial acceleration in AI adoption this year. The rising number of AI projects means that organizations may need to reorganize internally to make sure that AI projects are properly staffed and funded. It is a best practice to establish an AI Center of Excellence to distribute skills, obtain funding, set priorities and share best practices in the best possible way."

Mr. Hare further said, "Finding the right staff skills is a major concern whenever advanced technologies are involved. Skill gaps can be addressed using service providers, partnering with universities, and establishing training programs for existing employees. However, establishing a solid data management foundation is not something that you can improvise. Reliable data quality is critical for delivering accurate insights, building trust and reducing bias. Data readiness must be a top concern for all AI projects."

Distinguished vice president, an analyst at Gartner Whit Andrews said, "Using efficiency targets as a way of showing value is more prevalent in organizations who say they are conservative or mainstream in their adoption profiles. Companies who say they’re aggressive in adoption strategies were much more likely instead to say they were seeking improvements in customer engagement."

The Study Findings

The study showed that forty percent (40%) of the surveyed organizations focused on customer experience (CX) as their primary motivator for using AI technology. Also, organizations are using efficiency as a measurement of success to gauge the project's merit.

Fifty percent (50%) of surveyed organizations use AI to support the internal decision-making process. AI is also used to give recommendations to employees internally.

Around twenty percent (20%) respondents are targetting AI for automating tasks. The tasks include invoicing and contract validation in finance or automated screening and robotic interviews in HR.

The survey also found key challenges in deploying AI and its adoption. These challenges include lack of skills (56%), in-depth understanding of AI use cases (42%), and concerns with data scope or quality (34%).

The announcement also noted that respondents plan to add six more AI projects in the next twelve months. There will be an addition of 15 more AI projects in the next three years. Till 2022, these organizations will have an average of 35 AI or ML projects.