- IBM launches new European study of 1600+ senior leaders
and C-level executives to explore how leadership is changing
in the age of AI
- 82% of leaders surveyed have already deployed generative AI or
intend to deploy generative AI in the next year, driven primarily
by pressure from employees, management, and investors
- 96% are prioritizing governance and ethics as they engage in
shaping internal and industry frameworks
- Data security and privacy is seen as the key challenge in terms
of leadership accountability
LONDON, Nov. 8, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, IBM (NYSE: IBM) has launched its new report
'Leadership in the Age of AI.' Based on a survey of 1,600+
senior leaders and C-Suite executives across the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Sweden, the report explores how leadership is
transforming as the region's businesses embrace generative AI.
The rise of generative AI in 2023 has been nothing short of
remarkable. As the technology went mainstream in the consumer
market, progressive senior leaders were quick to respond, seeking
to secure their place in the emerging transformation.
It's a safe bet that 2024 will be the year businesses follow en
masse, and pressure to make the right calls and lead appropriately
is being felt across the C-suite. The report found that 96% of
respondents who have or plan to deploy generative AI are actively
engaged in shaping new ethical and governance frameworks.
As executives across Europe
seek to untap the potential of AI while navigating growing security
threats and an evolving regulatory and ethics landscape, the report
explores what leadership in the age of AI truly entails.
Ana Paula Assis, Chair
and General Manager EMEA, IBM commented:
"AI is the definitive gamechanger. A powerful catalyst with the
potential to drive transformative global progress. And its rapid
ascent is giving Europe, home to 7
of the world's 10 most innovative countries, the chance to play a
leading role. But this doesn't make business leaders blind to the
challenges. Concerns around governance, ethics and security are top
of mind as executives strive to adopt AI safely and responsibly.
It's a responsibility which touches every fibre of a business –
from its data to its people, to society at large. And success
requires the kind of organizational shift few are prepared
for."
"While no organization wants to be left behind, in the eyes of
their customers, investors, employees, and peers there is a license
required to operate this exciting new technology. And that license
is trust. This moment calls for trusted leadership, instilling good
governance into every action taken. All successful AI strategies
will be dependent on effective, responsible AI governance – and
getting this right will ensure companies are prepared and ready to
reap the benefits of the AI revolution."
Key findings include:
Responding to mounting pressure
- Business leaders surveyed say that the three greatest sources
of pressure to embrace generative AI are coming not only from
competitors or consumers, but from employees, board members and
investors.
- This stems primarily from a desire to modernize and improve
operational efficiency (45%), using AI to automate routine
processes and free up employees to take on higher value work while
helping foster innovation. This is followed by the technology's
potential to enhance the customer experience (43%) and boost sales
results (38%).
- Answering the AI boardroom agenda in particular, respondents
were virtually unanimous (95%)[1] on the potential of generative AI
to power better leadership decisions.
Taking the lead on transparency and ethics
- When it came to the challenges of deploying generative AI,
respondents identified the importance of employing it within an
ethical and inclusive framework as the main challenge, followed by
the pressure to hire specialist talent and cost implications.
- And, while regulators across Europe work to rapidly develop AI policy
frameworks, business leaders themselves are being required to take
ownership and responsibility on key issues, citing concerns over
security implications (including privacy and surveillance) as the
most fundamental to responsible AI.
Maintaining focus on continuous skills development
- Across the board, improving AI skills proved to be a key
priority, with 95% of leaders surveyed saying they were taking
steps to ensure they have the right AI skills in their
organizations. Here, respondents rank upskilling their existing
workforce just ahead of recruiting new specialists and outsourcing
to technology providers.
- On a personal level, leaders are actively engaged in growing
their own knowledge of generative AI technology (44%), the
regulatory and compliance landscape (41%) and the ethical
implications (41%).
- Beyond doing their homework, they are also assuming proactive,
personal accountability for helping establish the guardrails: 74%
of leaders are planning to join active discussions with peers or
collaborate actively with policymakers on AI regulation.
- Despite these promising conversations, however, we still have a
way to go. Even though 91% of respondents claim to have a good
understanding of the regulatory context, a far smaller proportion
(54%) felt clear about what it means for their business.
"European policymakers need active, long-term engagement from
business leaders to deliver a regulatory framework that's effective
and fit for purpose," commented Bola Rotibi, Chief of Enterprise
Research, CCS Insight. She added that, "Improving skills by
investing in accessible AI and gen AI training and education
programs and seeking experienced support will ensure that both
technologies will be used effectively across the organization."
Watsonx is IBM's pioneering AI and data platform based on
three components: a studio to build and train foundation models, a
data store designed specifically for the needs of AI, and a
governance toolkit to ensure safe use. The platform takes a
holistic approach, embedding ethical principles and governance at
every level to enable companies to deploy trusted, responsible, and
accountable AI.
IBM recommends four key principles for an AI strategy:
- Prioritize value creation: Any enterprise that wants to
get the most out of AI should be participating in the full value
creation opportunity of foundation models rather than outsourcing
their capacity, strategy, and data to third
parties.
- Bet on community: Wherever AI goes in the future,
one closed model will not rule them all. By integrating a mix of
the best open-source, private, and proprietary models, businesses
can make the most of the open community behind the
revolution.
- Ensure your AI can run everywhere,
efficiently: By building with open, hybrid cloud
technologies, businesses can optimize for cost, performance, and
latency. The future of these technologies depends on agile, cost,
and energy-efficient options, and the enterprises that succeed will
be those that set themselves up to thrive in any
environment.
- Be accountable: Good AI is governed AI, and for
those who hope to lead the charge, instilling this principle into
everything that they do will go a long way toward cementing their
position at the front of the pack.
For more information on the Leadership in the Age of AI
report, please visit our blog here
Methodology
In partnership with Censuswide, IBM interviewed 1,633 senior
business decision makers in companies with 500+ employees across
the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Sweden in September
2023. This was a minimum of 250 respondents per market with
at least 100 respondents in each market at C-suite level and from
15+ different industries and sectors such as Finance, Healthcare,
Manufacturing, Retail, Telecoms and Utilities.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and
consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries
capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business
processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their
industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in
critical infrastructure areas such as financial services,
telecommunications, airline, and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid
cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to effect their digital
transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's
breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing,
industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and
flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's
long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility,
inclusivity and service.
Press Contact
Tineke Mertens, External
Relations Leader, IBM EMEA
Mobile: +31 6 200 150 92
E-mail:
tineke.mertens@nl.ibm.com
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SOURCE IBM