Survey unveils varied IT professional sentiment towards AI tools: Challenges and prospects
Although we have seen rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI), it seems IT professionals remain to be convinced of the value of the technology. As new research from SolarWinds highlights, less than half (44%) of IT professionals have a positive view of AI tools.
The potential risks of AI have a long history in popular media, a fact reflected by the quarter (25%) of IT professionals who say AI tools will eventually pose a threat to society itself.
However, rather than turning against AI, this attitude reflects the fact that IT professionals know that massive paradigm shifts require a great deal of planning and properly enforced controls. The survey reveals that almost half (48%) of IT professionals are calling for more stringent compliance and governance requirements to be put in place for AI solutions.
Despite this apparent scepticism, it’s clear that IT professionals still believe AI tools will be valuable for certain tasks. Indeed, over a quarter (28%) currently use AI tools in the workplace — while the same amount are planning imminent investment in AI. Furthermore, almost all of the tools popular among IT professionals are rushing to incorporate generative AI features into their products.
Sascha Giese, Tech Evangelist at SolarWinds, commented on the findings: “With such hype around the trend, it might seem surprising that so many IT professionals currently have a negative view of AI tools. Many IT organizations require an internal AI literacy campaign, to educate on specific uses cases, the differences between subsets of AI, and to channel the productivity benefits wrought by AI into innovation.
“The buzz around AI, particularly generative AI, is grabbing the attention of business leaders. There are clear opportunities to reduce costs, create new product lines, or enrich existing offerings. While this enthusiasm from the C-suite is great for increasing IT budgets, its understandable certain reservations persist among IT professionals — particularly when it comes to AI replacing their key daily tasks.
“Properly regulated AI deployments will benefit employees, customers, and the broader workforce. But it needs buy-in from the right people. Transparency over AI concerns and a collaborative, open discussion between business leaders and IT teams is key. Until then, we will continue to see a cautious, “wait and see” approach from IT teams slowing the adoption of these revolutionary tools. Only after the early adopters have vetted AI tools for both business value and risks will IT professionals quell the fear that the machines are taking over.”
