The complexity of the health and economic context has raised the question of the adoption of artificial intelligence. According to a PwC study, investment in this area accelerated for more than half of the companies surveyed during and after the health crisis. The consulting and auditing firm IA Predictions 2021 reveals that a quarter of the companies said they had adopted AI on a large scale, compared with 18 per cent the previous year.

In February 2020, at the time of the previous edition of the study, nine out of ten executives believed that AI presented more opportunities than risks and almost half expected it to “disrupt” their market or industry, or both. Has the health crisis disrupted these trends? Among the key findings, this new edition reveals that :

• 86% of executives believe that AI will be a widely used technology in their company by 2021,
• 46% of companies have implemented an upskilling program on AI-related issues. As with any structural change, the arrival of AI within companies implies the emergence of new needs in terms of talent and skills. The aim is to effectively combine short-term needs in terms of resources and skills with a more sustainable project of building an AI-oriented organizational culture.
• 52% of companies have accelerated their investments in AI following the health crisis.

However, the expected return on investment requires substantial efforts. 76% of the organizations surveyed do not yet have a positive ROI on their AI investments.

Experts recommend choosing an AI operating model that ensures a consistent approach to data, governance and model usage across your enterprise. Jean-David Benassouli, partner in charge of Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at PwC France and Maghreb explains :

“In France, even though some of our clients have slowed down or postponed projects, we have seen these general trends of accelerating investments. The growing use of digital technology, both in business processes and in consumer habits, is generating more and more data, and de facto favours the development of AI”.

Despite this rise in AI, investments in this area end up being untapped and do not provide enough added value when they are too early or poorly prepared. According to the study, most companies have not yet sufficiently adapted their talent management strategy, governance, business strategy and development methodology.

Read the full study

Translated from Un quart des entreprises déclarent adopter l’IA à grande échelle selon l’étude IA Predictions 2021 de PwC