Generative AI is the technology IT needs to leverage the most, yet nine out of 10 IT organizations cannot support the growing demand for AI-related projects.
A recent Salesforce survey of 600 IT leaders reveals a new mandate from their bosses: to integrate generative AI into the technology stack – and quickly. The IT executive survey shows that nearly nine in 10 IT professionals cannot support the flood of AI-related requests they receive within their organization.
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The survey also shows the following appeal of AI to IT:
- Nine out of 10 IT professionals say generative AI has forced them to re-evaluate their technology strategy and changed the way their team thinks about how new technologies are integrated and used.
- 86% of IT professionals say their job has become more important since the introduction of generative AI.
- 68% of IT professionals say their leadership expects them to be experts in generative AI.
There is strong business pressure to quickly implement generative AI. The survey found that 87% of IT professionals believe generative AI has lived up to or exceeded its hype. Another key finding was that generative AI is the #1 technology. IT feels the pressure to integrate quickly. And the demand is coming from the top – C-level executives are the key influencers demanding rapid generative AI implementation, ahead of other stakeholders.
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To better understand the demand for using generative AI in the enterprise, I reached out to a global technology leader and innovation pioneer: Jansen Savic, Global Head of Enterprise Technology at WEX. Savic is a visionary innovator and transformative leader in digital customer engagement technology. He has led high-performing organizations and delivered cutting-edge technology solutions across sectors including retail, manufacturing, biotechnology and payments. Jansen’s expertise lies in scaling technology initiatives to meet the changing needs of today’s dynamic business environment.
Below are Savic’s thoughts on developing a three-step strategy to accelerate GenAI adoption in your organization.
How to accelerate the implementation and optimization of generative AI
There is clear evidence that 2024 is the year of GenAI implementations and optimizations. Generative AI (GenAI) is ubiquitous throughout your organization. There is much debate about its potential to revolutionize productivity. Some talk about how their children use AI to compose catchy pop songs or write school essays with ease.
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Although AI technology has been around for some time, its new generative capabilities are enabling productivity improvements across industries. More importantly, AI is driving advances in all other areas of technology innovation.
On the episode of “In the Know,” ARK Invest’s CEO/CIO said: Cathie Wood comments that the convergence of technologies is creating explosive growth and opportunity, with AI serving as a catalyst for innovation and accelerating the development of energy storage, public blockchains, robotics, multiomic sequencing and artificial intelligence.
With the potential of AI now a reality, companies are grappling with how to implement it effectively. You may be unsure about how to scale GenAI across your organization, implement AI capabilities for both customers and employees, and fully realize its potential for real business value. Rest assured, you are not alone.
In the second half of 2022 we got to know ChatGPT, while 2023 was a year of experimentation, prototyping and proof-of-concept projects, perhaps even piloting some use cases.
Now 2024 is the year of GenAI implementation. Here are three strategies to accelerate adoption of generative AI:
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Work with SaaS leaders who have already mastered the art of building sophisticated Large Language Models (LLMs) and understand foundational functionality.
- Just as you shouldn’t reinvent CRM, ERP or HCM platforms, instead subscribe to proven SaaS solutions that offer LLM and AI platforms. These solutions benefit from extensive research and development and thousands of successful implementations.
- These providers have already developed basic capabilities such as safety, efficiency, toxicity management, grounding and zero data storage.
- By leveraging their expertise, you can accelerate the deployment of trained models for your most valuable use cases.
- Additionally, you have a network of implementation partners to help you quickly achieve business value.
2. Establish an AI lab dedicated to driving continuous innovation and ensuring operational viability.
- Provided you already have an AI program in place with governance, prioritization, and measurement frameworks, an AI lab can serve as a powerful accelerator.
- Staffed by architects, innovators, data scientists, fast learners and developers, the lab can quickly build a pipeline that follows the design-test-learn-iterate process.
- The ability to experiment quickly with new features and fail quickly empowers the team to think innovatively.
- This agility allows you to explore new features, test them in your environment and specific use cases, and accelerate the realization of business value.
- An important final step in the lab process is a smooth transition to your operations teams responsible for deploying and supporting the new technology at scale.
3. Foster a culture of experimentation that encourages all employees to discover new things and fail fast.
- Provide content, training and opportunities to confidently use GenAI technology, both professionally and personally.
- Encourage idea generation through a community of practice forums and idea portals, recognizing that some of the best insights come from those closest to your customers.
- Expand your agile frameworks to effectively support your innovation process.
By collaborating with leading SaaS providers, establishing an AI lab for innovation, and fostering a culture of experimentation, you can accelerate the adoption of generative AI and unlock its full potential for your business in 2024.
This article was co-authored by Jansen SavicGlobal Head of Enterprise Technology WEX. Savic is a visionary innovator and transformative leader in digital customer engagement technology.