Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues its unstoppable advance across various sectors, but how prepared are organizations to successfully adopt it? A recent report from Minsait, “Ascendant 2024”, has analyzed the level of maturity, adoption, and challenges faced by both public and private entities on their journey toward digital transformation driven by AI. With over 900 participating organizations and the collaboration of more than 200 experts, the report provides a detailed overview of how AI is shaping the future.
The Adoption Challenge: Many Intentions, Few Defined Strategies
One of the most striking findings of the report is that 90% of organizations still lack a well-defined AI strategic plan aligned with their business objectives. While many companies have experimented with AI in pilot projects or specific use cases, the absence of a clear strategy hinders large-scale implementation.
Despite this, 78% of organizations already have infrastructures ready to adopt AI, primarily through agreements with major tech providers, indicating a willingness to expand if strategic and operational conditions improve.
Motivations for Adopting AI: Efficiency as a Priority
The reasons behind the growing interest in AI are varied, but the most notable is the optimization of processes and improvement of efficiency, mentioned by 72% of the surveyed companies. In a challenging economic environment, AI has become a key tool for automating repetitive tasks, enhancing decision-making, and reducing operational costs.
Other incentives include:
- Personalization of services: In sectors such as banking and retail, AI enables customization of products and offers for each customer.
- Optimization of data analysis: Companies across all sectors seek to improve data management and extract valuable insights for decision-making.
- CybersecurityCybersecurity solutions are essential in today’s era. and fraud prevention: In the financial sector, AI is key to detecting suspicious patterns and preventing fraudulent activities.
Main Barriers to Implementation
Despite technological advancements and interest in AI, 36% of organizations cite the lack of qualified professionals as a key barrier. The shortage of talent specialized in AI, machine learning, and data science remains a global challenge. This, coupled with increasing regulation in the sector, is slowing the mass adoption of these technologies.
Other identified barriers include:
- High implementation costs, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
- Lack of integration with legacy systems, making the transition to advanced AI models difficult.
- Ethical and security concerns, with data management and privacy as key aspects.
The Banking Sector: A Leader in AI Adoption
The report analyzes in detail the impact of AI across various sectors, highlighting banking as one of the industries with the highest level of adoption. 65% of banking entities have focused their efforts on using AI to transform their internal operations, optimizing processes such as fraud detection, product personalization, and customer service automation.
In this sector, AI is also being used to enhance financial planning for customers, allowing for the analysis of spending patterns and offering personalized recommendations. However, banks face challenges related to regulation and data security, factors that may slow the deployment of AI-based solutions.
Use Cases and Focus Areas in the Value Chain
The Minsait report details the main applications of AI within the value chain of companies. Some of the most relevant focus areas include:
- Customer service: AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants improve user experience and reduce operational costs.
- Data management and predictive analytics: Companies across various sectors utilize AI to analyze large volumes of data and anticipate trends.
- Production optimization: In industries like manufacturing, AI helps enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
- Marketing and personalization: AI tools enable the creation of more effective and targeted campaigns.
- Sustainability and environment: AI is being used to monitor environmental impact and improve energy efficiency across various industries.
The Future of AI: Strategy, Innovation, and Ethics
The report highlights that, to maximize the impact of AI, organizations must address four fundamental pillars:
- Strategy: Develop concrete plans aligned with business objectives.
- Innovation and talent: Invest in training and attract AI experts.
- Technology: Integrate flexible and scalable infrastructures.
- Ethics and security: Ensure the responsible use of data and compliance with current regulations.
Conclusion: A Path with Challenges, but Full of Opportunities
Artificial Intelligence has become a key tool for digital transformation, but its adoption still faces significant challenges. The lack of defined strategies and the shortage of specialized talent are hindering its expansion, although interest in its benefits continues to grow.
As technology evolves and organizations adapt, AI will play an increasingly relevant role in process optimization, decision-making, and value generation for businesses and society. However, its success will depend on companies’ ability to integrate AI ethically, strategically, and effectively.