Winning the AI long game

“We start with the companies’ ‘true north.’ What is their business strategy?” Varshney said. “From there, you break that down into the organization’s processes and workflows. Eventually you’ll find key high-value workflows and for those you figure out how to apply the right blend of AI, automation, and generative AI. Grounding AI models in your workflow, your processes, and your enterprise data is what creates value.”

Reaping the benefits of augmented intelligence

Varshney notes that augmented intelligence — the act of leveraging AI to enhance human cognitive performance, decision-making, and creativity — is one way the tech can help organizations and their employees. For example, one organization might use AI to automate menial tasks that free up workers’ time and energy to focus on high-level decision-making. When implemented effectively, augmented intelligence and AI can improve efficiency and contribute to a company’s bottom line.

In these scenarios, a clear strategic vision is key.

“The AI roadmap should be the company’s strategy that’s fueled by AI, data, process, people, and culture,” he said. 

Choosing your AI champions  

When looking to identify AI opportunities, organizations should begin by polling their staff. Varshney notes that this step is often overlooked because many organizations outsource the task to an external team of elite AI engineers. But that’s not going to garner the best results. 

“It should come from the grassroots,” he said.

The delicate balance of human-AI tandem needs to be driven by the people who are closest to the processes and understand where AI can truly augment and empower them.

Once the project has been identified, AI leaders need to champion the technology, both at the senior executive level and within their team. “If you have a champion who’s, say, the chief marketing officer, and that person is willing to out-compete the competition and invest in future growth, then that energy flows down the organization,” Varshney said. 

These champions will require support, too. They need training in AI ethics, the right set of tools available, and a culture in which AI will truly augment their workflow.

Developing AI leadership is not simply a matter of adopting AI and cloud services and connecting data silos. To successfully embrace the opportunities of AI, organizations must first draw up a strategic vision that is going to have a real impact. Once they do, they can deploy technology in ways that augment human intelligence. And with the right buy-in from executives at the top, an organization can follow its roadmap to true AI leadership.

Read the AI in Action 2024 report to learn more about how IBM can help you develop an AI roadmap and achieve long-term business success. 

This post was created by Insider Studios with IBM.