A RECENT study by Lenovo highlights a significant divergence between CEOs and CIOs regarding the strategic adoption and scaling of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within organizations.
This divide comes to the fore amidst the rapid uptake of AI in ASEAN markets, including the Philippines, where AI has been experiencing substantial growth, averaging a compound annual growth rate of approximately 40 percent.
The urgency to stay competitive is driving many executives to aggressively pursue AI integration, with plans to ramp up AI spending by 45 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. However, CIOs are contending with more immediate operational hurdles, such as cybersecurity and talent retention, which are further complicated by emerging technologies like Generative AI (GenAI). With constrained budgets and a cautious approach to risk, 9 percent of CIOs even view AI initiatives as potential distractions.
Lenovo’s comprehensive survey, which engaged 900 IT and business decision-makers, focused particularly on the impact of GenAI. The findings shed light on the divergent perspectives within the C-suite concerning AI’s potential and challenges.
Key insights from the study include companies are significantly boosting their AI budgets, indicating a rush to capitalize on AI technologies. While 46 percent of CIOs believe in AI’s transformative potential, their enthusiasm is tempered by practical deployment and effectiveness concerns.
Despite the excitement surrounding GenAI, it ranks only fourth on the technology priority list for CIOs, who remain cautious about its current maturity stage and integration challenges. A substantial 69 percent of CIOs prefer hosting AI workloads in non-public cloud environments, signaling a strategic preference for controlled, secure computing spaces. Approximately 45 percent of CIOs report difficulties in hiring for AI-related roles, which are crucial for driving AI innovation and implementation.
“We recognize the challenges that come with adopting AI as much as we also acknowledge the immense potential it can bring to our business and people,” says Michael Ngan, General Manager of Lenovo Philippines. “As the landscape of AI rapidly evolves, it’s imperative for organizations to navigate the complexities with a unified vision,” he shared.
Through Lenovo’s AI Innovators Program, a collaboration with leading software partners, Lenovo offers ready-to-implement AI solutions spanning customer operations.
Last year, Lenovo unveiled its comprehensive vision “AI for All” at the 9th Global Tech World Event in Austin, Texas, underscoring its commitment to democratizing AI.
