É realmente mais fácil implementar IA hoje?

Is it really easier to implement AI today?

June 4, 2024 Roberto Magalhães

We are still in a period of transition for AI in the business world

New research from Deloitte is suggesting this sentiment is already changing. This is because the survey results shed a positive light on the short and medium-term future of AI implementation in business. How optimistic? Approximately 3 in 4 executives surveyed are confident that AI will be integrated into their business applications within the next three years.

Machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision are all on the horizon. But what changed for executives to make this strategic change? Have they finally gotten around to the benefits of using AI , even though they aren't readily available? Or does it have to do with something bigger?

Let's explore the possibilities.

Developing or not developing

The research makes it clear that executives feel AI will be more present in their business lives due to the ability to purchase pre-made AI-based products that may be easier to implement in their digital environments. Deloitte found that half of respondents say they will “buy all” or “buy more than build” AI solutions. Behind these numbers are all types of companies – from startups to large corporations eager to leverage the many forms of artificial intelligence.

So, as we estimate , the Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) model will be one of the trends to keep an eye on in this crucial year. This is because AIaaS can provide companies with the essential tools a company needs to put together an AI-driven solution that is more aligned with that specific company's goals. Using this model, companies of all types would be freed from the need to hire data scientists and AI developers, which are scarce and therefore very difficult to find.

Problem solved, then? Not exactly. The “buy over build” mentality still has its challenges . While it can provide a more immediate solution to AI demands, it still needs a specific set of skills to understand and assemble. Given the AI-based offering, understanding the solutions that can give a company an advantage becomes essential. However, not everyone will be able to make an informed choice due to this requirement, so they will still need AI experts to choose the right AI solutions available on the market and to integrate them.

There is another aspect of buying rather than developing. As with all solutions available on the market, companies that join this trend will have to be content with what AI providers offer them. Of course, there are big companies behind AIaaS, like IBM and Google, that already offer specific high-quality solutions to quench companies' thirst for AI. However, the offer is still somewhat limited and generic.

AI solutions available today could be the answer to what most companies are looking for – modernizing data infrastructure and automating tasks. However, as more and more companies adopt the same approach, the need for more personalized AI solutions will become more evident, especially for those companies looking to gain a competitive advantage from their AI efforts.

Therefore, development is not entirely out of the question – it is delayed until entire industries standardize the use of AI.

AI Implementation: Easier but Still Challenging

There are two things worth remembering before jumping to conclusions about implementing AI soon. Firstly, this was just one survey (and conducted in pre-pandemic times), so it doesn't necessarily reflect widespread sentiment. It's best to take this as an indication of things that may be coming our way.

The second thing is closely related to the first: the fact that a group of entrepreneurs feels that implementing AI is easier today than it was in the past does not mean that it is a risk-free process. The same survey reveals that 56% of respondents say their organizations are slowing AI adoption due to emerging risks.

This number is worth highlighting as it brings us back to reality: although AI may be easier to implement from a technical perspective, it is still fraught with challenges. There are potential cybersecurity threats, the use of personal data in compliance with different regulations, the still raw nature of these regulations themselves – and that's not to mention the need for AI experts to drive the implementation themselves.

In this light, we could say that implementing AI is simpler than the previous year (and all previous years as well). However, we are still in a period of transition for AI in the business world and we still have a long way to go. Today, many companies are just beginning to realize the benefits of using AI and aligning their processes and goals behind it.

Finally, let's address the elephant in the room. I mentioned this only in passing, but it bears repeating: this survey was conducted in December 2019. In other words, respondents' feelings came from a very different context that did not take into account the dire economic conditions and a global impact brought upon by a pandemic. As many companies are changing their strategies just to survive, plans to implement AI will likely be postponed, even as AI could help those same companies weather the storm and reinvent themselves into stronger versions.

All these aspects converge to a practically obvious conclusion: we cannot talk lightly about the implementation of AI today. We have to consider several factors at play during a year that is very different from others in recent memory. So while AI may be more technologically accessible today, that doesn't mean we'll see an explosion in its adoption. If I had to guess, this marks the beginning of a trend that will flourish, but it will take a little longer to conquer the entire business world.

If you liked this, be sure to check out our other articles on AI.