A new survey reveals that 83% of IT leaders believe stronger data infrastructure could accelerate their organisation’s adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Conducted by Ernst & Young (EY US), the EY AI Pulse Survey found that despite significant investments in AI, a lack of robust data infrastructure is hindering progress for many companies, with 67% of senior business leaders admitting that their current infrastructure is actively slowing down their AI adoption.
“Generative AI’s ‘terrible twos’ have been both volatile and shown incredible promise,” said EY Americas consulting vice chair Whitt Butler. “Leaders are banking on AI as the future but our research uncovered challenges like data infrastructure, which are holding back adoption. Leaders must put emerging and evolving risks like data and change management at the top of their AI transformation agenda to maintain momentum and realise adoption.”
The survey, which gathered insights from 500 senior business leaders across various industries, underscores a growing enthusiasm for AI deployments, with 97% of respondents reporting positive returns on their investments. Additionally, the number of respondents reporting operational efficiencies as a result of such investments rose from 77% to 84%, while employee productivity saw a boost from 76% to 83%. Technology updates, cybersecurity, competitive advantages, and product innovation also experienced substantial gains, demonstrating AI’s increasing value in business operations.
Growing demand for responsible AI and concerns over employee burnout
Interest in responsible AI practices also appears to be growing, with 61% of senior business leaders stating that they were interested in learning more about them — up from 53% six months ago. Additionally, 59% of respondents plan to increase efforts to train employees on the responsible use of AI in the coming year.
However, the survey also found signs of “AI fatigue” within organisations. Around 50% of senior leaders reported a decline in company-wide enthusiasm for AI adoption, while 54% of respondents expressed concerns over their ability to keep up with the rapid pace of AI advancements. This sentiment is echoed by employees, with many feeling overwhelmed by the constant influx of new AI developments.
In addition to governance and employee burnout, the survey also highlighted incipient concerns around AI’s growing energy consumption. Approximately 49% of senior business leaders expect cloud computing to increase their organisation’s energy consumption over the next 12 months. Concerns about sustainability and energy supply reliability, meanwhile, were raised by 64% and 62% of respondents, respectively. Looking ahead, the survey suggests that the trend of increasing AI investment will continue, with 34% of companies planning to invest $10m or more in AI next year. This marks a slight increase from 30% six months ago.
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