Gen AI Creates Opportunities for Human, Machine Partnerships

Executives believe that there will be greater human and machine work partnerships within five years, found a global study by Dell Technologies. The Innovation Catalyst report surveyed 6,600 information technology (IT) executives to measure the expected impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) on productivity and business strategy. 

"Strategic adoption of AI has become an imperative in a world where business evolves daily," reads the study. "Knowing the challenges and opportunities provided by this technology is key to making more strategic and informed decisions that drive the success of its adoption and with it, that of the organization.”

According to the study, 82% of executives believe that there will be greater human and machine work partnerships, and 79% believe that machines will not replace humans as a labor force

About 40% of respondents consider that Gen AI presents an advantageous opportunity to increase their organization’s cybersecurity posture and minimize risks. Furthermore, 59% recognize its ability to discover new sources of revenue. In terms of innovation, 55% of participants consider it a key part of their business strategy. In addition, 89% show interest in consuming GenAI models through service schemes, while 94% anticipate facing challenges related to information management in the near future.

Adoption of GenAI companies

The study found that 56% of respondents consider Gen AI as key to their business strategy, while 40% rate its importance as moderate and 4% as low. 

Companies are investing in Gen AI development, with 39% of respondents having a budget dedicated to AI projects, while 41% use their IT budget and prioritize AI projects and 15% do not prioritize AI within their IT budget.

The survey revealed that the main objectives in implementing Gen AI are to transform the organization, reduce costs, increase efficiency and be prepared to respond to customer demands.

 Respondents had high expectations of AI, with 66% stating that this technology could increase productivity and 65% saying they would use it to improve customer experience, 64% to reduce repetitive tasks, 62% to improve security, and 59% to uncover new revenue streams.

Promising use cases for GenAI included improving customer services through chatbots and automated assistance, increasing productivity by delegating repetitive tasks, reducing environmental impact through operational efficiency, and strengthening cybersecurity systems.

The cybersecurity problem

According to the study, 85% of organizations surveyed experienced security attacks in the last 12 months, with malware, cloud security configuration. and unpatched vulnerabilities being the top three incidents. For 68%, insider threats are a major concern, while 84% focus on patches and updates, and 86% have an Incident Response Plan (IRP). 

"The issue of cybersecurity is critical and key in terms of building innovation models, such as AI," says Francisco Aguilar, General Manager, Dell Technologies Mexico.

In addition, 88% consider AI to be an essential part of cybersecurity tools. This figure contrasts with the low adoption of the Zero Trust model, as only 24% have fully implemented this security architecture.

Challenges

However, Gen AI business integration faces many challenges. The "Exploring AI as a driver of change in the Latin American digital frontier" study by consulting firm NTT Data reveals that, from 2020 to 2023, AI adoption among Latin American companies has increased from 58% to 71%. Colombia and Mexico stand out as leaders in the implementation of this technology in business operations.

"Although AI is transforming businesses in Latin America, challenges to its implementation persist, such as lack of specialized talent, cost concerns, and resistance to change," reads the NTT Data study. “A growing concern that has emerged is the ethics related to AI and its adoption, focusing on issues of transparency, privacy, security, and accountability.”

In Mexico and Latin America, companies have adopted AI at a slower pace due to concerns about transparency in the origin of the information, says Cameron Art, General Manager Americas and UKIGeneral Manager, DXC Technology.

"Mexico is being very careful with AI and demands to have a model that is reliable, that is, that can be understandable, explainable, and transparent," says Art. "It is as if you have a black box in which you cannot know where the things it has come from and the same happens with the information, if you do not know the origin it implicates you in copyright issues."

AI requires strong processing capabilities, driving up demand for data centers, found the Mexican Association of Data Centers (MEXDC).

Future outlook

Although 36% of respondents stated that they do not have a clear vision of the next three to five years for the industry, 93% recognize that Gen AI tools will facilitate the implementation of more intuitive and customized applications to strengthen the working capabilities of organizations.