AI's Real-time Demands Outstrip Current Preparedness, Based on Latest Survey Results
In a recent survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute in partnership with OpenText, 1896 IT leaders shared insights into the challenges they face in achieving AI readiness.
The study highlights an emerging challenge for organizations as they increasingly rely on AI and GenAI to complete tasks, provide insights, and even run parts of their businesses. One of the key findings is that organizations are struggling to manage AI capabilities in real time.
Preventing the exposure of sensitive information, strengthening encryption practices, and reducing the risk of poor or misconfigured systems due to over-reliance on AI for cyber risk management are crucial steps towards AI readiness, according to the survey.
The top use case for GenAI is to support security operations such as analyzing alerts and generating playbooks, with 39% of respondents citing this as a priority. Custom data security is a concern for 44% of respondents, and 49% say their organizations are not effective in their ability to monitor insider activity across hybrid and remote environments.
Organizations are having difficulties in reducing insider or malicious data loss incidents without jeopardizing trust, with 59% of respondents reporting this issue. Ensuring the high availability of IT services is a top priority of IT leaders to support business innovation sought through AI, with 47% of respondents expressing this concern.
An additional challenge is securing source code, mentioned by 44% of respondents. To address these issues, the survey's authors suggest that organizations should develop an AI data security program, use tools to validate AI prompts and their responses, train teams to spot AI-generated behavior patterns or threat actors, use data cleansing and governance, and identify and mitigate bias in AI models for safe and responsible use.
Recruiting and retaining qualified personnel is a top priority for 43% of respondents. The survey results indicate a gap in information readiness is causing these struggles, with 53% of respondents finding it very difficult to support business goals and transformation.
The survey finds that organizations ready to implement real-time analysis and intervention in their operational AI systems include technological corporations using AI for real-time financial data analysis and budget optimization, manufacturing companies employing AI to continuously analyze operations and identify automation opportunities, logistics companies simulating future scenarios with AI, and IT security teams leveraging AI-driven zero trust models for automated threat detection and response in large-scale environments.
Thirty-four percent of respondents look to GenAI to accelerate threat detection or incident response. Real-time responsiveness is a leading use case for GenAI, according to the survey. Ensuring the high availability of IT services is a top priority of IT leaders to support business innovation sought through AI, with 47% of respondents expressing this concern.
The survey's authors suggest that organizations should focus on reducing information complexity, a priority for almost three-quarters (73%) of CIOs, CISOs, and other IT leaders, to achieve AI readiness. Organizations ready to embrace these challenges and implement effective solutions stand to reap the benefits of AI and GenAI in driving business innovation and success.
