Human AI is here

Key findings

• AI technologies are gaining traction in business. Almost every executive (92 percent) recognizes and evangelizes the value of a comprehensive AI strategy, but only half have a complete grasp of the technologies and their practical applications.
• Companies are building the muscle to shape successful AI programs and culture. Eighty-five percent believe that senior executives are courageous in their willingness to devote resources for transformational change. And almost all (87 percent) believe that AI technologies are important in achieving their overall business objectives, with 52 percent saying they are highly important.
• Companies embracing analytics and AI have significantly more growth than those who lag in adoption. Almost all companies identified as AI Leaders in the survey experienced more than 10 percent growth in the past year (81 percent), compared with 36 percent of laggards. And just over half (51 percent) of AI Leaders realized more than 20 percent growth, something only 13 percent of laggards accomplished.
• Companies are striving to create robust cultures around data and analytics. Thirty-six percent of companies say their digitization of data and adoption of analytics is extensive—and 45 percent say it is almost at that level. Sixty percent report having a strong culture around accurate and relevant data.
• Companies aspire to use data effectively but are facing hurdles. Only 47 percent say they have a solid data management process. Among the challenges: 51 percent have trouble integrating multiple sources of data, 49 percent struggle with prioritizing data, and 48 percent are challenged by determining the right data to collect.
• Establishing ethical frameworks to address issues such as bias and privacy is an emerging priority. Fifty-two percent say that companies need to make data and analytics transparent and comprehensible to consumers and non-scientists, but only 33 percent of companies have done so. Forty-seven percent believe that AI systems should be built around humans.
• New jobs are emerging to build and manage human-focused AI systems. Counter to the perception that the labor market will suffer under AI, 45 percent say transparency analysts and explainability strategists are now needed to judge algorithm outputs. Fifty-eight percent say algorithm training and analysis are also needed to reduce bias, and a quarter believe that companies should hire ethicists.