As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues to reshape the digital landscape, CIOs and IT leaders are at a pivotal point, tasked with navigating the profound opportunities and challenges this disruptive technology presents, a new report from Info-Tech Research Group concludes.
To help guide CIOs who wish to take advantage of what the technology can offer, the CIO Priorities 2024 report outlines what the research firm describes as “five key initiatives poised to drive significant value across diverse organizational contexts in 2024.”
The five revolve around:
Augmenting the business with GenAI: Survey findings indicate a “cautious approach toward adopting new GenAI features among organizations, particularly those with lower IT maturity possibly due to vendor risk or intellectual property concerns. In contrast, high IT maturity firms are more proactive, with more than half reporting either planning to apply for beta access to new features or planning to move ahead upon their general availability.” CIOs and IT leaders, a release states, need to strategically integrate GenAI capabilities into business processes, deciding whether to develop in-house solutions or procure them.
Right-sizing AI governance: According to the report, organizations are facing a “balancing act with risk management and fostering innovation. When asked about who is responsible for AI governance, 30 per cent of respondents from both high and low IT maturity organizations reported that it is the role of the CIO. This year, CIOs and IT leaders must design and establish AI governance frameworks that provide necessary oversight and specific policies that align with existing risk management practices without imposing bureaucracy and auditing that stifles innovation.”
Updating vendor risk assessments: The research, Info-Tech maintains, “underscores the increasing threat of supply chain attacks, where cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in the software tools and services used by organizations. This threat makes companies susceptible to the risks of their vendors. To mitigate these threats, especially those related to AI, Info-Tech advises that CIOs and IT leaders establish or update their vendor risk assessment programs to include AI-specific considerations.”
Exponentially increasing innovation: According to the report, CIOs identified innovation as a key driver for maintaining competitiveness and enhancing customer and employee experiences. It notes that “despite AI being earmarked as a primary area for new investment in 2024, many organizations report not having conducted proofs of concept or pilots with AI to validate business cases. To harness AI’s full potential, CIOs and IT leaders must prioritize expanding their exploration of AI use cases, moving from ideation to pilot testing more rapidly.”
Exponentially improving customer experience: Analysis of the survey data reveals that IT leaders are “moderately concerned about potential disruptions to their organizations due to changing customer behaviors, second only to cybersecurity incidents. By embedding AI into customer journey interactions, CIOs and IT leaders can automate, augment, and reduce friction at every point of the customer journey, accelerating service delivery and enhancing overall satisfaction.”
Brian Jackson, principal research director with Info-Tech and lead analyst for the report, said, “in our assessment of the 2024 IT landscape, GenAI emerged as the clear trend, a focal point of our Tech Trends 2024 report.
“This technology introduces significant opportunities and challenges. The critical question for CIOs and IT leaders is which capabilities need enhancement to leverage these opportunities and which initiatives should be prioritized to navigate the accompanying enterprise risks effectively.”
This year, he added, GenAI is “like an elephant in the C-suite office, trumpeting its demands to be addressed. Whether through internal build efforts or through new vendor features, generative AI must be addressed by CIOs and IT leaders. This technology is the next wave lifting the expectations of customers and business stakeholders.”
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