AI Bubble? Advice to CIOs
State of Play
AI has energized the tech ecosystem like nothing had in a long time. This combined with unprecedented development and research turbo charged by risk capital, there is a goldmine of possibilities. That said, these are still just possibilities which are yet to be grounded in meaningful metrics namely ROI, scalability, security and above all accuracy and reliability. All key to decision making. Given this reality , what is your going in posture?
1. Go Slow - It's the Prudent Choice
If you've run IT for any duration of time you know there are competing demands on your mostly limited resources. Add AI to the mix you're likely working with the pressure to inject AI into your enterprise systems. If so you are not alone. What should you do? Evaluate AI enabled use cases available for purchase in the marketplace against your business needs (like you've done with all previous generation tech) and assess the return on investment.
2. Experiment but do so with Open Source
When the return on investment is not clear at the outset and there's evidence in the market to support inbuilt inefficiency that results in cost creeps, invest in experimentation but do so with open source to limit exposure. This helps you manage capex while making bold choices to learn and prepare to absorb AI into your enterprise tech landscape when it's ready for you.
3. Upskill your team
If the current AI assistants are any indicator, you can be sure there are massive productivity gains in adopting AI. In order to capitalize create a niche group to learn AI assistants at the front end and AI plumbing in the back end. When AI sustainability and scalability arrive on the scene you've done the prep to launch programs that effectively deliver business outcomes.
In summary, the current state of play requires a measured approach to adopting AI. The hype comes with it's own pressures, don't give in.
