UAE – Mubasher: Organisations that are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) technologies have an average of four AI/ML projects in place, according to a recent survey by Gartner, released on Tuesday.
Respondents expect that they would add six more projects in the next 12 months, and another 15 within the next three years, which means that the number of their AI and ML projects would reach 35 in 2022.
“We see a substantial acceleration in AI adoption this year. The rising number of AI projects means that organizations may need to reorganize internally to make sure that AI projects are properly staffed and funded,” research vice president at Gartner, Jim Hare, said.
Gartner’s survey showed that 40% of organizations named customer experience as their top motivator to adopt AI technology, while 20% of respondents named task automation as their top motivator.
“It is less about replacing human workers and more about augmenting and enabling them to make better decisions faster,” Hare commented.
As per respondents, top challenges that face using AI technologies include lack of skills, understanding AI use cases, and concerns with data scope or quality.
“Finding the right staff skills is a major concern whenever advanced technologies are involved. Skill gaps can be addressed using service providers, partnering with universities, and establishing training programs for existing employees,” Hare noted.
In the GCC and the Middle East, the UAE has become the pioneer in launching more than one initiative in the 4IR and its technology, starting in 2017 when the UAE became the first nation on Earth to create a government position for the development of AI; the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence with its current minister Omar Al Olama.
In May Ian Albert, Regional Director and Head of Research and Valuation at Colliers International MENA, told Mubasher that “The debate over the impact of 4IR on all economies varies between 10% and 50% of current jobs being partially or completely taken over by some form of AI. Whichever way it is considered, it will have a significant impact on our lives and the physical space we occupy.”
