Artificial intelligence can potentially help a business better meet the needs of both customers and employees. But how do IT leaders feel about AI and just how do they use it or plan to use it? A survey commissioned by LogMeIn and conducted by IDG in February 2019 reveals how artificial intelligence is earning its way into the business world.

Among the 150 IT leaders polled, 83% said they feel positive about using AI at their organizations, with 49% expressing cautious optimism, and 36% saying they are enthusiastic. Among the respondents, those who work at technology companies were significantly more likely than those in other types of firms to express enthusiasm for AI.

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A full 51% of the respondents said they’ve already deployed AI tools somewhere in their organization. Another 20% are actively planning a rollout in the next 12 months, while 28% said they’re currently researching how to incorporate AI in their business. Among these respondents, Among these respondents, 58% said they’re looking at AI as a way to modernize and streamline their operations, while 50% cited a need to keep up with the competition.

At organizations that have already implemented AI, 37% said they use these tools to improve their day-to-day operations, 32% reported using AI to enhance their cybersecurity efforts, another 32% said they use AI for R&D, and 31% use it for customer service.

IT leaders also pointed to the potential benefits of AI with their fellow employees. Some 36% said that AI helps satisfy the demands of their users for new technologies, while 35% said AI fills the need for greater accuracy and speed in making decisions. A full 79% said they believe AI technology will help users save time and accomplish more during the workday. Some 74% said they believe AI can help their IT staff collect data to make better decisions about the tools that employees use and the impact of those tools on the organization.

The survey also questioned IT leaders about the role AI can play in communications and collaboration, specifically in meetings. Some 34% of respondents said they believe they’ll be using AI in their meetings a full 12 months from now. Three specific technologies were cited as having the greatest potential to make meetings more productive. Some 45% pointed to predictive technology that alerts people to upcoming meetings, reminds them of tasks, and suggests follow-ups. Some 43% noted AI’s ability to record and transcribe meeting notes. And 34% mentioned virtual assistants and chatbots.

Among the IT leaders interested in using AI for communication and collaboration, 47% said their top priority was integration to ensure that the AI tools work smoothly with their existing systems. Some 39% pointed to security as the biggest priority.

Conducted in March 2019, the survey reached 150 people working in IT as managers or in higher positions at companies with 100 or more employees. The organizations included in the survey were all already using AI technology, planning to adopt it, or had expressed an interest in using it in their business.

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