Skeptic or realist? The contradictions in AI technology adoption
Research released today by The Adaptavist Group reveals deep-rooted contradictions in how companies are approaching and implementing AI technology.
The survey of 900 professionals responsible for introducing and onboarding AI across the UK, US, Canada, and Germany uncovers a major fault line between the 42 percent who believe their company’s AI claims are over-inflated -- the AI ‘skeptics’ -- and the 36 percent of AI ‘realists’ who do not.
For the skeptics the technology brings perceived threats and fear. A huge 65 percent believe their company’s stance on AI puts customers at risk of financial, psychological, or physical harm, compared to just nine percent of those who believe their organization makes realistic claims about AI’s promise.
But despite this the organizations over-hyping AI are plowing millions into the technology. 34 percent of skeptic leaders had spent between £1m ($1.34m) and £10m ($13.4m) on implementing the technology in the last 12 months, and eight percent had invested over £10m. Whilst this is more than their realist peers, 31 percent of whom spent between £1m and £10m, and six percent over £10m, the slightness of the gap highlights that the difference in attitudes is not likely to be linked to investment levels.
Jon Mort, CTO at The Adaptavist Group, says:
The contrast between leaders who are confident in their organization’s AI journey and those grappling with poor outcomes, rushed implementations, and a reluctant workforce is stark.
Which side of the coin your company lands on appears to depend on perception, but there are factors beneath which create those perceptions. Organizations who treat AI tools simply as replacements for existing jobs or tasks, without considering their system of work as a whole, are set up to fail. Pushed to ‘just adopt’ without considering training and time to test, refine, and build the right support structures, leaders are far more likely to find themselves in a culture of fear around AI and diminished confidence in the value of human input.
To unlock AI’s true value, organizations must be quick to experiment, but take time to thoughtfully roll out fully, by investing in training, and creating an environment where both people and technology can thrive.
Pressure, not results, is the driver behind AI implementation for skeptics, 84 percent say they encourage their team to use the technology because they feel they should, rather than because it delivers specific value, compared to 58 percent of realists.
This also leads to a concealing of AI use, 42 percent of skeptic leaders say they hide their AI usage at work for fear of repercussions, versus only six percent of realists, likely stemming from poor workplace culture. Nearly half (48 percent) of those in over-inflating organizations worry about being incorrectly accused of using AI, while 45 percent feel that colleagues perceive AI users as less competent. This is a stark contrast from the 15 percent and five percent of realists who believe the same.
You can find out more on The Adaptavist Group site.
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