Salesforce survey reveals AI adoption hurdles for CIOs

Salesforce has released a survey highlighting the challenges enterprise Chief Information Officers (CIOs) face in adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The survey, which included 150 CIOs from enterprises with over 1,000 employees, revealed that although 84% of CIOs anticipate AI being as significant to their businesses as the internet, only 11% have fully implemented the technology. A myriad of technical and organisational hurdles, particularly security concerns and data infrastructure issues, are significant barriers to AI adoption.

"Generative AI is one of the most transformative technologies of this century," said Juan Perez, CIO at Salesforce. "This research gives a glimpse at the foundations that CIOs across industries and geographies are laying in preparation for the rollout of truly transformational AI."

CIOs report a significant amount of pressure to be AI experts, with 61% indicating that they are expected to know more about AI than they currently do. Information from their peers in other companies is the primary learning source for many.

Despite recognising AI's potential, 67% of CIOs are taking a cautious approach to its implementation compared to other technological advancements. Currently, CIOs are allocating more of their budgets to data infrastructure and management—20%—as opposed to the 5% directed towards AI initiatives. Concerns over security and privacy, as well as the reliability of data, rank as top fears among CIOs.

A discrepancy is seen between CIOs' views and the expectations held by other business stakeholders, with 68% of CIOs asserting that line-of-business stakeholders hold unrealistic expectations regarding the timeline for AI return on investment (ROI). Although 66% of CIOs believe that AI will eventually yield benefits, expectations about the timing of these benefits are seen as unreasonable.

Furthermore, CIOs perceive a disparity in AI readiness across different departments. While customer service is identified as having strong potential for AI use cases, it is noted to be one of the least prepared departments to incorporate the technology.

AI adoption across various functions remains patchy, due in part to data accessibility concerns and legacy systems that do not easily support modern data exchange. As one CIO in the manufacturing industry noted, "The biggest barrier to AI implementation is data accessibility. Additionally, legacy systems and outdated infrastructure can hinder the effectiveness of AI."

Perez highlighted the priority given to data initiatives in AI preparations, saying, "Data initiatives aren't new, but they're at an unprecedented level of urgency and prioritisation. Nearly every company I speak with is shifting resources to ensure their data is integrated, accessible, and relevant."

To navigate the complex landscape of AI, many CIOs are fostering cooperation with business leaders to ensure effective deployment. "AI cannot be a one-size-fits-all top down approach," said a CIO from the architecture, engineering, and construction industry in France, emphasising the need for departments to find AI opportunities tailored to their specific needs.

The burgeoning demographic of CIOs experimenting with AI highlights the shared challenges and learning opportunities that exist, a sentiment echoed by Juan Perez: "This is the perfect opportunity for knowledge sharing. Today's CIOs haven't experienced many technology shifts this consequential in their careers until now. We're all navigating this revolution in real time, and it's critical that we share our learnings with each other so we build not just successful AI enterprises, but a successful AI economy."