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.
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