Most businesses do not intend to work on AI and automation with any sense of urgency this year, despite the fact that board members would generally love to prioritize the use of these technologies. This is according to a new report from technology services company GDS Group.
Polling more than 300 senior leaders at global companies, including 150 IT leaders, the report found that AI, automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the least important topics for IT leaders right now.
Instead, cybersecurity remains their top priority – as this is the area where they feel their knowledge is most lacking – followed closely by cloud strategy and digital transformation.
The poll’s respondents were well aware of their acute lack of knowledge on these subjects and said they were eager to fill that gap. The majority would most enjoy face-to-face learning, but are willing to learn at home using digital content, training courses, virtual conferences and roundtables.
For Spencer Green, Chairman and founder of GDS, AI and automation not being a top priority for business leaders is quite the surprise. “However, as a relatively new trend, we expect it will climb the ranks as we see more evidence of its ability to transform businesses,” he said.
“The high interest we found among board level contacts in AI/automation provides another indication that this will become a key trend. While interest in cybersecurity, data, cloud and digital transformation remain as high as ever, so it is vital for us to help our clients to inform and educate business leaders in these areas.”
