Who owns AI in your business?
Who should own and drive AI initiatives in your organisation? Many organisations we speak to have delegated AI responsibilities to their IT departments. Sound familiar? However, as AI’s potential to transform entire business models becomes increasingly evident, this approach is worth a second look.
The traditional IT ownership model
Assigning AI initiatives to IT departments might seem logical, given their technical expertise. However, AI’s impact extends beyond just technology; it influences strategic decision-making, it impacts every part of a business and it impacts customer engagement. Focusing ownership of AI to IT can therefore result in missed opportunities for uncovering AI use cases and may limit broader business integration.
The case for business-led AI ownership
A business-led approach to AI ensures alignment with your organisational goals and customer needs. When business leaders take ownership of AI, they can identify use cases that directly contribute to growth and competitive advantage. This broader business ownership of AI encourages innovation and cross-departmental collaboration.
Challenges of IT-centric AI implementation
While IT departments are adept at managing technology infrastructure, they may lack the specific business context and understanding of AI use cases to apply AI effectively across different functions. This approach can lead to solutions that are technologically sound but potentially misaligned with your business objectives. Also, without executive sponsorship, AI falls down. Projects often struggle to secure the necessary resources and organisational commitment to succeed.
A collaborative approach
We believe the optimal strategy involves a collaborative approach where business leaders set the vision for AI and identify the use cases, then IT provides the technical support to realise this vision. Such collaboration ensures that AI initiatives are both technically feasible and strategically impactful.
Conclusion
As AI continues to reshape business, the question of ownership within organisations becomes increasingly critical. Delegating AI solely to IT may limit its potential. Instead, a business-led, collaborative approach can drive innovation, align AI initiatives with strategic goals, and ensure that organisations fully harness the power of AI.
At iwantmore.ai, we specialise in guiding businesses through this challenge, helping them identify use cases and create organisational structures for leading and governing AI initiatives. Contact us to help bridge the gap between your technical capabilities and business objectives.
Other AI articles you may be interested in:
Let's be honest: we bought Microsoft 365 Copilot for all the wrong reasons. Like countless other businesses, we saw the AI wave building and felt the familiar tech industry FOMO creeping in. As an AI-first consultancy, we couldn't exactly sit on the sidelines while the latest Microsoft AI tool rolled out. Our clients would expect us to know it inside and out, and frankly, our credibility depended on staying ahead of the curve.
Artificial intelligence is hungry for energy. Behind every chatbot, Copilot, or agent are servers burning a lot of power. As more UK companies adopt AI tools, it's worth paying attention to how much energy those tools use and what that means for your sustainability targets and reporting requirements.
AI is no longer a future trend — it’s a present-day advantage. While some businesses are building AI agents and transforming operations, others risk falling behind. This article looks at what’s driving the AI divide, why foundational knowledge matters, and how even small steps can unlock real competitive value. If you’re standing still, you’re already losing ground.
It was only a year or two ago that the role of prompt engineer was being touted as the next great career path. Thousands of job ads appeared. People the world over updated their LinkedIn profiles to highlight their prompt engineering skills. Fast forward a couple of years and the role is already on its way out.
The CTO is swamped with the day to day, the COO wants to see progress, the CFO wants to see hard ROI, and the CEO is reading headlines about competitors appointing ‘Chief AI Officers’ and is wondering why you don’t have one too. If this sounds familiar in your business, you might be wondering whether it’s time to create (or hire) a dedicated AI leader.
AI agents are the fancy buzzword of the day. Loads of hype, but also loads of potential. Despite the hype, over promise and noise, we are still witnessing the birth of a new business model: human-agent teams. Human employees that are building, managing and working alongside AI agents. Meet the agent boss.
iwantmore.ai – The AI consulting firm that helps you build a smarter business
Wherever you are with your AI implementation initiatives, we have a range of stand-alone AI quick start services to help you fast track the transformative benefits of AI across your business.
