Less talk, more AI action: The shift from AI ideation to AI adoption

With the rapid advancement of technology, organizations have undergone significant evolution, and mindsets have shifted accordingly. The emergence of new tools and applications, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence, has not only altered the way we work and live but has also transformed the landscape of business operations.

At the GDS Group Digital Innovation Summit, hosted by Rebecca Solomon , in Boston on March 20–21 2024, senior business leaders from around the world came together to explore navigating the digital future, focusing on three key themes: transforming the digital landscape with AI, safeguarding digital assets in a data-driven world, and crafting customer-centric strategies to enhance engagement and experience.

Representing 65 unique brands, 72 industry leaders engaged in discussions centered on technological advancements, digital transformation, and organizational growth. Amidst these conversations, one overarching topic stood out: AI.

Throughout the 2-day summit, it became increasingly apparent that Fortune 1000 companies are embracing AI adoption. Notably, AI emerged as one of the top three focus areas for summit attendees and was a central theme at the summit.

Evidently, it is clear that AI is here to stay – but are we moving away from talking about AI to implementing strategies for AI adoption?

All the rage in 2023

Over the past few years, AI has transitioned from a niche interest to a transformative force driving business agendas worldwide. During his keynote session, AI Digital Architecture Strategy -? for Your Organization, Michael A. , AI Principal Enterprise Architect at 波科 , noted that:

“AI has been around for a long time, over 20 years... So why all the hoopla all of a sudden? I like to say that 2023 is going to go down in history as the year for AI because it really ushered forward the new age that we are now in... AI’s unique characteristic is a general-purpose technology. AI is hitting everything. It has evolved over time. AI is not new; it has been around in its modern form for about 10 to 15 years. The thing about it, especially now, is the accelerated ability for it to evolve.”

Arulfo’s quote emphasizes the heightened interest suddenly surrounding the topic. However, despite coining 2023 as the year of AI, during the summit, there certainly appeared to be no sign that the conversation surrounding AI is slowing down in 2024. ?

That said, discussions surrounding AI are changing. We are moving away from theories, fears, and unfamiliar wonder towards the practicalities surrounding AI adoption: methods of implementation, managing ethics and governance, and leveraging AI for efficiency. This shift demonstrates that while AI has been heavily discussed, this is only the first step, and AI is not going to be leaving our idiolects any time soon.

The risks of AI adoption

So, if we’re moving past the wonders of this new toy and the fears of what it is capable of, where are we turning our heads to, in the vast realm of AI?

With over 50% of companies planning on implementing AI technologies in 2024, the appetite for AI-driven transformation is evident. However, as with any technological advancement, the adoption of AI is not without risk.

Throughout the summit, it was unveiled that organizations are acutely aware of the imperative to manage potential risks to ensure a sustainable approach to AI adoption. Key focuses that reoccurred within the topic of AI adoption included concerns around governance, security, and regulations.

During the panel discussion, AI as a Catalyst: Driving Innovation and Growth, Michael Mahar , SVP Head of Technology & Digital Products at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts shared his insights into beginning the process of AI adoption, focusing on implementing governance models:

“We started very light; it was simply an acceptable usage policy around GenAI. We didn’t block ChatGPT for example, we encouraged usage and experimentation, but we educated around the impact of entering corporate data into those platforms. So, we used that both as an educational opportunity and started to build our governance model around it, but we did it in small chunks… As we continue to roll out solutions, then we build the governance around those solutions… We make sure that through our security platforms, we’re monitoring the use of data through those platforms, and how we continue to train those model. For us, it was we didn’t want to start leveraging, without having the governance in place and being clear on our intent.”

Let’s take this online

The AI discussion did not stop when our attendees left the summit, however. Afterwards, many industry leaders took to social media to further the conversation with new connections developed during the summit and their wider networks of digital leaders. Clearly, AI is something that we just can’t stop talking about!

After moderating the roundtable session, AI and Digital Transformation: Integrating Disruptive Technologies, at the summit, 孙子祥 , Practice Lead AI at WestLink , shared the insights he gathered on LinkedIn . He found that:

“AI is changing internal structures: Steering committees, ethics boards, cross-functional AI prioritization groups, and others are popping up to address the challenges as orgs figure out how to embrace & govern AI.”

As well as this, he ascertained that:

“We’re still early. AI has been around for decades, but generative AI truly is a game changer. We’re just scratching the surface.”

Janyne Q. , Director - Digital Officer at BlackRock , shared her learnings into building trust while unlocking the benefits of AI, distilling them into three valuable insights :

“1. Focus on developing strong customer relationships to earn trust. 2. Be transparent about what you offer and what customers can expect. 3. Stay true to your brand guidelines.”

Neel Sen , Associate Director – New Products at Verizon , summarized his key takeaways from the summit in a LinkedIn post , mentioning the importance of ethics when it comes to AI adoption:

“Ethics and Privacy in AI is a controversial topic. While laws are being worked on in the EU, the implementation of similar laws in the US is still in its infancy. I learned about ISO:42001, which is the first AI management system that provides guidance towards responsible AI implementations.”

So, what’s next in digital innovation?

As AI continues to dominate discussions across industries and permeate our daily lives, the question arises: What lies ahead?

Drawing from the expert insights shared at the Digital Innovation Summit, we've curated three predictions:

1. Evolution of AI adoption

The conversation surrounding AI will continue to shift from speculative to practical, with organizations increasingly focusing on implementation strategies rather than theoretical discussions.

2. Increased focus on security and governance

With accelerated AI adoption, there will be a heightened emphasis on addressing governance, security, and regulatory challenges to ensure responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.

3. Adoption of hybrid AI solutions

Organizations will embrace a hybrid approach to AI, leveraging both traditional AI techniques and emerging generative AI technologies to effectively address diverse business challenges.

Curious for more insights?

Uncover even more expert insights in our latest GDS Beyond the summit report: Digital innovation edition.?From key data, such as budgets and project focus areas, to quotes from industry leaders, delve into the summit.

Access the full report.