The challenge is multi-faceted, extending beyond the technical selection of tools into the realm of enterprise-wide capability and governance. The speed of AI adoption has placed immense pressure on existing risk management frameworks, requiring CIOs to champion platforms that embed ethics and transparency by design.
However, the most critical element for success is the human factor. IBRS advisor Dr. Joseph Sweeney highlights that positive AI adoption is intrinsically linked to preparedness: “The number one factor was, has the company trained them?” Dr. Sweeney’s insight underscores that the real productivity gains come not from the AI itself, but from empowering employees to use it as a ‘synthesis tool and a challenging tool’ to discover new insights and question existing assumptions. Without a foundational commitment to digital and AI literacy, organisations risk implementing powerful tools that are relegated to simple, ineffective search functions.
Ultimately, the AI era redefines leadership itself. Dr. Joseph Sweeney observes that the rise of generative AI requires executives to move away from a culture of presenting answers to one of asking better questions. This interrogation of information, challenging existing thinking, is where AI is most effectively utilised for innovation.
Dr. Sweeney also offers a pragmatic view on platform strategy, suggesting that for most organisations, the most effective AI will be found already embedded in their core business systems. Given the likely rise in the cost of running AI systems in the future, CIOs must now be highly strategic about their deployment, focusing on invisible, deeply integrated solutions within existing platforms, and treating AI literacy and training as a mission-critical component of their overall digital preparedness roadmap. Read more here.
