Almost unanimous (96%) in stating that they will increase investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) this year, CIOs, Chief Information Officers, face a paradox: only 49% say their teams are prepared and 46% report insufficient data to support the projects, according to a recent PwC study.
But what to do when the company already sees the value of AI and runs into a lack of data or team preparedness?
“Technology alone is not enough. Without adequate training and quality data, investment in AI may not generate the expected impact. And that is also a role for leaders; to empower people, ensure robust technical support, and integrate systems to transform AI into a real competitive advantage,” says João Neto, CRO of Unentel.
AI governance is also under construction: only 42% of companies have structured policies and 49% are in the implementation phase, according to Logicalis. Even so, results are appearing quickly: 77% of companies that invested in the last 12 months have already recorded a return on investment.
"In other words, even with the structural gaps, AI is already showing concrete results, which makes investing in training and good governance practices even more urgent. There is still much room to expand them and get a better return on investment," CRO continues.
Another important piece of data, highlighted by Gartner, indicates that 63% of companies with a high level of AI maturity already track the results of their projects through solid ROI and customer satisfaction metrics. However, less than half of these organizations manage to keep their AI projects operational for three years or more, which reinforces the importance of structured, long-term strategies.
For these AI investments to be lasting and transformative, it is necessary to increase the confidence and operational capacity of the teams, strengthen data management, and consolidate a culture of continuous learning—a three-pronged approach that, according to João Neto, is fundamental to ensuring that innovation truly translates into business value.
"It's not enough to invest: it's necessary to prepare the ground so that data, people, and culture can move forward together," the executive concludes.
