Logicalis: Customers struggling with rapid AI deployments

The channel must walk a tightrope when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), responding to the clamour from customers for the latest innovations, while also displaying sympathy to those who are concerned they are deploying the technology too fast.

The extent to which customers feel those last sentiments has been revealed in CIO research from Logicalis, which found that a significant number of users are worried about the speed of AI adoption.

The channel player discovered that 90% of customers have increased their appetite for AI in the past year, but slightly more than a third said deployment had been too quick for them to align the roll-out with existing business plans.

There were even some CIOs who expressed the view that they wished AI had never been invented because of the challenges it posed to the teams in charge of IT systems.

AI dominated the annual Logicalis CIO report, with the technology becoming increasingly embedded across working processes at customers.

The problem has been the pace of AI adoption, with many feeling that it has been too rapid. As a result, 61% of UK CIOs felt their organisation’s AI strategy was not fully aligned with the overall business plan. Those quizzed for the report were also concerned that the speed of AI deployment meant greater exposure to security and regulatory risks.

“CIOs are navigating a landscape defined by acceleration, fragmentation and rising expectations,” said Neil Eke, UK CEO at Logicalis UKI.

“They are being asked to move faster, deliver more value and assume greater responsibility, often before the organisational foundation needed to support that responsibility is fully in place. For CIOs, the real work now is not proving what AI can do, but making it reliable enough to be scaled with confidence to deliver a net business benefit,” he added.

For CIOs, the real work now is not proving what AI can do, but making it reliable enough to be scaled with confidence to deliver a net business benefit

Drilling down into the experiences of those who have embraced AI found that many reported using the technology to improve day-to-day service delivery, improve predictive analytics and forecasting, and enhance customer experience.

“What this latest research reveals isn’t hesitation, but realism. CIOs must now focus on building governance frameworks that evolve alongside AI deployment, ensuring innovation does not outpace operational resilience,” said Eke.

For the wider channel, the report signalled where value could be added, with partners well placed to help customers meet regulatory standards and quell their security fears.

“This year’s report reveals a complex challenge for CIOs navigating the biggest innovation of our lifetime. Organisations are not short of ambition or appetite for AI; they are short of the frameworks, skills and confidence to deploy it at scale,” said Bob Bailkoski, CEO of Logicalis Group.

“The challenge right now is not whether to invest in AI, but how to build the foundations that will make that investment effective, safe and sustainable. Today’s CIO is no longer just a technology operator; they are strategically coordinating risk, ensuring accountability and driving value creation throughout the entire organisation,” he added.

The report also highlighted a skills issue, with many customers acknowledging that they do not have the internal expertise to handle the full demands of AI.

Logicalis found that 81% of UK CIOs cited a lack of internal technical expertise as a barrier to AI adoption, while 63% blamed a lack of skills for increasing security and compliance risks.