Most decision makers expect ROI from artificial intelligence within two years

Cylance polled 652 IT decision makers in the U.S., UK, Germany and France, and found that optimism about the value of artificial intelligence-powered solutions in the enterprise is high and plans to continue investment in the technology are widespread.

AI is already making a significant impact in the enterprise, analyzing trends in security, operational efficiency, marketing, employee perceptions, and other areas.

Organizations are already investing in AI, and this will only increase: Nearly all of the IT decision makers surveyed said they are either currently spending on AI-powered solutions or planning to invest in them in the next two years; 60 percent already have AI in place. Additionally, 79 percent say AI is a top priority for their boards and C-suite executives.

For security teams, AI is moving the needle: Seventy-seven percent have prevented more breaches following their use of AI-powered tools and 81 percent say AI was detecting threats before their security teams could. Furthermore, 74 percent say they won’t be able to cope with the cybersecurity skills gap if they don’t adopt AI.

AI is seen as a competitive advantage: Eighty-seven percent of IT decision makers see AI-powered technology as a competitive advantage for their IT departments and 83 percent are specifically investing in AI to beat competitors.

AI is living up to its promises: Eighty-six percent say that the AI that they have used has lived up to its promises. Sixty-four percent of IT decision makers expect to see ROI from their investments in AI in fewer than 2 years.

AI opportunities abound: Ninety-three percent say it will create new job opportunities, with 80 percent saying AI will lead them to hire new workers and retrain existing employees.

“Executives who were first to make the leap of faith in AI have been the first to begin experiencing the rewards, particularly in the prevention of cyberattacks. Over the next year, I only expect to see this trend accelerate,” said Daniel Doimo, President and Chief Operating Officer at Cylance.