When AI Misses the Mark: Why Tech Buyers Face Project Failures

5 hours ago 3

Many U.K. businesses are struggling to get their AI projects disconnected the crushed due to the fact that the exertion is simply not applicable, an AI strategist claims.

New probe from information absorption level Qlik has recovered that 11% of U.K. businesses person astatine slightest 50 AI projects stuck successful the readying stage. Meanwhile, 20% person had up to 50 projects advancement to readying oregon beyond — but past had to intermission oregon adjacent cancel them.

“AI has the imaginable to interaction astir each manufacture and department, but it’s not universally applicable,” James Fisher, Qlik’s main strategy officer, told TechRepublic.

“Some projects neglect due to the fact that of infrastructure and information issues, but successful different cases, AI is simply not the close instrumentality for the job. It’s indispensable for businesses to recognize the occupation they are trying to lick and to use AI wherever it tin bring the astir value.”

SEE: How to Improve Your Digital Transformation Project Failure Rate

This corroborates probe from Gartner published successful September that recovered that astatine slightest 30% of generative AI projects will beryllium abandoned aft the proof-of-concept stage by the extremity of 2025. This is not a caller notion, with TechRepublic reporting connected a akin uncovering back successful 2019.

Data governance represents a cardinal challenge

The biggest crushed for AI task failures from the caller Qlik research, cited by 28% of the 250 U.K.-based C-suite executives and AI determination makers surveyed, are the challenges astir information governance.

“AI projects tin neglect to present successful cases wherever determination is simply a deficiency of high-quality, structured information oregon wherever objectives are excessively ambiguous.” Fisher said. “For example, automating lawsuit work interactions without capable quality oversight, the close information needed to enactment it oregon due testing.

“Without a coagulated information strategy, AI models volition ever conflict to present meaningful insights.”

Incorrectly implementing a strategy tin beryllium “disastrous,” Fisher said. For example, AI-generated codification has been known to cause outages, and information leaders are considering banning the technology’s usage successful bundle development.

The Qlik survey besides recovered that 41% of U.K. elder managers deficiency spot successful AI, which could beryllium related to different high-profile failures of late, specified arsenic Air Canada’s chatbot giving incorrect fare argumentation information, resulting successful legal and fiscal repercussions. New legislation, specified arsenic the E.U. AI Act, volition lone rise the costs of specified errors.

SEE: Generative AI: A Source of ‘Costly Mistakes’ for Enterprise Tech Buyers

But, determination are concern areas wherever Fisher has seen AI proving useful, specified arsenic proviso concatenation optimisation, fraud detection, and personalised marketing.

“These are usage cases wherever AI models are fed greater volumes of high-quality data, are aligned to wide concern outcomes and tin nutrient sharper, much actionable insights,” Fisher noted.

Reduce imaginable fiscal losses by seeking retired “plug-and-play” AI solutions, experts say

Gartner estimates that gathering oregon good tuning a customized AI exemplary tin outgo betwixt $5 cardinal and $20 million, positive $8,000 to $21,000 per idiosyncratic per year. GenAI “requires a higher tolerance for indirect, aboriginal fiscal concern criteria versus contiguous instrumentality connected investment,” which “many CFOs person not been comfy with,” analysts wrote.

Fisher emphasised the value of concern leaders ensuring that AI volition present a existent instrumentality earlier making the investment, and suggests trying to find an applicable “plug-and-play” solution first.

He explained: “In an situation wherever CIOs are already reconsidering the cost-effectiveness of generative AI solutions, a absorption connected smaller, purpose-driven models and targeted applications may, successful the near-term, apt beryllium to beryllium a much sustainable alternative.

“The simplicity of plug-and-play solutions provides businesses with a instauration for their AI projects which tin assistance code challenges astir spot and governance by reducing hazard and complexity, whilst ensuring businesses are reaping the benefits that AI tin offer.”

SEE: Generative AI Projects Risk Failure Without Business Executive Understanding

He besides advised to commencement with smaller AI projects to show proof-of-concept earlier scaling, and to regularly measure the ROI.

“The implicit archetypal measurement is to found a beardown information instauration and person the close information governance, prime and accessibility successful place,” Fisher said. “Make definite you person a wide concern occupation oregon situation successful caput that AI is addressing and acceptable measurable outcomes to way occurrence against. To physique spot successful the technology, effort to promote cognition sharing and upskilling crossed the business.

“Finally, instrumentality a gradual attack to AI adoption; commencement with a impervious of conception to validate your task earlier committing to bigger bets.”

Read Entire Article