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AI has reached an inflection point.

Yet, despite the surge, the role AI plays within most organizations remains confusingly small.

A person holding out their hand with a digital AI symbol.

For all the ambition, most businesses arent using AI to its full potential.

Many deployments focus on essential applications such as chatbots, digital assistants, and isolated automation tools.

But between fluctuating business confidence and rising costs prompting companies to increase prices, many are treading cautiously.

SVP Solution Consulting International (EMEA & APJ), Infor.

But how often is AI being introduced with a clear, long-term purpose?

Take supply chain management, for example.

In logistics, AI-powered route optimization can help transportation companies minimize fuel costs and reduce delivery delays.

Meanwhile, manufacturers can apply AI to monitor equipment performance, predicting failures before they disrupt production.

Yet, despite these possibilities, adoption remains fragmented.

The UK Governments AI Opportunities Action Plan reinforces AIs role in national competitiveness, pushing for wider adoption.

Instead, AI should be treated as a strategic driver to rethink how work gets done entirely.

That means building AI into strategic planning from the outset and avoiding retrofitting it to existing processes.

This requires upskillingemployeesto collaborate with AI in a wider business culture where AI is a real co-pilot in decision-making.

One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that its benefits should be immediate.

The data double-down

Alongside these opportunities, there’s an essential need to acknowledge dataprivacy.

Safeguarding customer data needs to make up a key part of the foundation for building and maintaining trust.

Not just a compliance tick-box.

We list the best online collaboration tool.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc.