- Research finds that 80% of IT leaders recognize AI needs a digital workplace
- But only 10% have led an AI transformation in their organization
- Lenovo report highlights the existence of an “AI readiness divide” where ambition is not matched by preparation
AI offers the promise of greater productivity, but if your business isn’t prepared, that promise is wasted, new research has claimed.
A survey from Lenovo show that while 80% of IT leaders understand the potential for AI needs in the workplace, only 10% of them have put in place the digital transformation to facilitate success.
The sixth volume of the Lenovo Work Reborn report provides the results of a 1,200-person survey, conducted with IT leaders across the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and eight other countries, some worrying implications for AI readiness - but also asserts that a divide is becoming apparent, various levels of unpreparedness potentially limiting opportunities for businesses and organizations that have fallen behind.
Scaling slow
The report highlights various surprises. First, it seems that while AI is scaled across business functions, just 10% of organizations have approached its implementation with a rethink on how work is produced. Similarly, just 10% of businesses have governance that covers AI tools, agents, and data access.
Elsewhere, businesses seem to be unable to measure AI’s value, with many adopting a “fire and forget” approach to its implementation. Just 10% responded saying that an ROI measurement is in place to understand AI’s impact in delivering results.
The Lenovo report presents the findings with a score on its AI Workplace Readiness Index. This is a metric that measures five dimensions of AI workplace readiness: architecture, operations, trust, workforce, and value. Organizations that score well in all five are considered to be ahead when it comes to AI implementation.
Organizations with AI fully in use across their core business functions are given an average score of 4.1 our of 5. At the other end of the scale, organizations that are still evaluating AI score 2.7.
Creating value with AI
Talk is cheap, and declaring a desire to embrace and implement AI is very different from actually doing so. Establishing an AI-ready digital workplace means more than positive words – leaders need to put in the groundwork and have the budget in place to make it happen.
Rakshit Ghura, Vice President and General Manager at Lenovo Digital Workplace Solutions, says “Every company we’re talking to is asking the same thing: what value are we actually getting from AI? That’s where workflow-level measurement matters. Are cycle times down? Are repeat incidents falling? Is the outcome better?” That is, says Ghura, “how you show where AI is creating value.”
Updating the workplace is a no-brainer. As Ghura also notes, “a workplace designed for the pre-AI era” prevents AI from being used effectively. “The opportunity is to redesign how people and AI work together, with the technology, support and governance around them built for how work is changing."
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