Exclusive: Brian Stucki discusses Australian executives' hesitation surrounding AI

Qualtrics President and COO Brian Stucki has revealed why Australian organisations risk falling behind in artificial intelligence, despite a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity staring them in the face.

It comes as a new report released by Qualtrics estimates that AI could unlock over a whooping $2 trillion AUD in business value by improving customer experience. However, only 7% of Australian executives say they want to lead the way. 

Stucki sat down with TechDay during the Qualtrics' X4 conference in Sydney to discuss the findings.

"One of the core reasons is that the regulation environment around AI is very nascent," he explained. "The rules of the game aren't clear. That's got a lot of organisations being hesitant to take the step because they don't want to find themselves out of compliance down the road."

Stucki believes regulation is not only inevitable but welcome, as it would help reduce uncertainty and accelerate AI adoption.

But compliance isn't the only concern. Many leaders are also worried about data privacy and customer trust.

"There is a lot of uncertainty around how the AI actually works," he said. "Are you unnecessarily exposing yourself to risk with your customer base? Because maybe your customers aren't going to be happy with whatever data might be shared or not shared."

Adding to the complexity is the rise of what Stucki refers to as agentic AI - AI systems that can take autonomous actions on behalf of a business.

While some executives question if it's a passing trend, Stucki disagrees.

"I don't think it's a trend. The challenge right now is it's cool technology, but where's the real value that organisations realise from it?" he said.

"Our approach is very pragmatic. Look for specific use cases that we know deliver value to the customer."

Stucki pointed to a proliferation of general-purpose AI tools on the market, which he says often promise more than they deliver. In contrast, Qualtrics is focused on concrete outcomes, such as improving follow-up after customer feedback.

"Let's give you an agent that can help you close the loop. That's a very pragmatic use case that allows an organisation to scale the number of customers they can make happy," he said.

Despite hesitancy, Australian companies are actively experimenting with AI. According to the report, nearly four in ten are training employees, while others are buying AI tools or running pilots. But most lack a unified strategy. Only 5% have an organisation-wide approach under centralised leadership.

For companies stuck in what Stucki called "pilot purgatory", he offers this advice: "Have a good plan, and be willing to modify the plan over time. Know what the signal is and follow that signal as best you can."

He sees value in approaching AI through both internal and external lenses. Internally, AI can drive efficiency; externally, it can enhance the customer journey.

"As long as you're applying a holistic lens to both sides of that coin, then I think you know you're doing what you can do."

Starting small is another key principle. When rolling out agentic AI, Stucki says organisations must understand exactly what the technology is doing.

"Start with very specific use cases that you ought to be able to sort of contain and know if it's working. Add incremental use cases over time."

Qualtrics is investing in platform features to help clients manage and monitor their AI agents. "Make it easy for organisations to understand what the agents are actually doing - or maybe not doing," he added.

The company's own AI features, such as conversational feedback, have already seen strong uptake. Instead of static surveys, Qualtrics' platform can engage customers in real-time dialogue, asking follow-up questions to probe for context.

"Oftentimes the initial response from a customer is surface level. So giving organisations the ability to better get to root cause is hugely valuable," Stucki said.

One surprise? Completion rates have gone up.

"Customers are actually feeling like the organisation's really trying to understand. And as the customer feels that, they're willing to give more feedback," he explained.

Still, AI alone doesn't create empathy - but it can help organisations deliver it. By analysing vast amounts of customer data, AI can flag situations that require a human touch.

"I think the customers that need empathy from an organisation often go unidentified," he said. "AI can help organisations identify those instances where a customer needs an empathetic response."

But for AI to make a real impact, it must be fed rich, comprehensive data. Stucki warns that relying solely on survey results is not enough.

"If all the information [AI agents] have is information that comes from surveys, that's a very incomplete set of data."

"The name of the game is capturing human signal across every channel," he said.

That includes structured and unstructured data, both solicited and unsolicited - from call centres to social media to app behaviour.

"When something does happen, [AI agents] have all the context and understanding so that they take the right action," he added.

Ultimately, Stucki sees AI as a powerful enabler of better business, but only when paired with the right people, plans and priorities.

"AI is not empathetic in and of itself," he said. "But it can help you identify where empathy is needed. And then the human-led response can take it from there."