An organization’s AIQ can determine whether the rollout of new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools will succeed or fail to deliver results.
Many businesses are turning to generative AI to transform their products, services and operations. As a result, the number of organizations using generative AI tools continues to grow.
Last October ITPro reported that more than half of organisations were in a piloting phase or had already implemented generative AI systems. A recent study by Stratio BD has revealed that 75% expect to increase their use of these tools in the next 12 months, with a third (33%) stating that it will become the most important source of insight for decision-making.
However, experts have raised concerns that many leaders are focused on deploying generative AI tools rather than upskilling employees, noting that following a ‘deploy first, train later’ philosophy often results in a wasted investment.
“With all the hype surrounding AI, we often see organizations implement a ‘shiny new AI toy’ with fanfare,” says Paul Henninger, UK head of connected technology at KPMG and global head of Digital Lighthouse, a center of excellence for emerging technologies. “Yet, if an employee uses the tool a couple of times unsuccessfully, there is a high likelihood this will lead to disinterest and they won’t return to using it without encouragement.”
Employee readiness can make or break your generative AI strategy, says J.P. Gownder, VP and principal analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team. He highlights the fact that staff must possess sufficient levels of understanding, hard, and soft skills in order for a business to leverage its generative AI tools to the full.
Staff with more knowledge in these areas will drive productivity, make fewer errors, and open up your organization to fewer generative AI risks, he notes. But Gownder also points to the fact that views on the level of training received differ greatly between leaders and their employees.
“Recent quantitative work we’ve undertaken found that 59% of leaders believe they’ve given AI training, while only 45% of employees say they’ve received it. That 14% gap shows that some leaders are overestimating the resourcing they’ve given their employees.”
To ensure you give your employees the training they need to thrive using generative AI, you first need to know their current level of understanding. One effective way to do this is to measure your organization’s AIQ.
