Calling Time on AI WashingCalling Time on AI Washing

Organizations must focus on education to avoid risks

Kumaravel Ramakrishnan, marketing director of ITSM at ManageEngine

October 14, 2024

6 Min Read
Generative AI visuals floating above a keyboard
Getty images

The business world is at a turning point. As the pace and scale of digitization accelerate, critical functions such as IT service management (ITSM) are being reshaped by the rapid evolution and growing adoption of high-impact technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is transforming many fields, including risk analysis, trade automation, healthcare and diagnostics. It is currently redefining the field of ITSM as AI is no longer merely considered an add-on. It is quickly becoming essential in the tech industry, from chatbots that respond to client inquiries around the clock to predictive algorithms that foresee system faults.

AI has been used by several major IT giants to streamline ITSM processes, including predictive maintenance, automated decision-making and issue management. The benefits of AI are clear and its game-changing abilities are slowly becoming integrated into daily workflows.

However, the hype is substantial. Almost everywhere you look, there is a claim about the latest AI-driven product, service or innovation but in reality, it's early days, with few robust use cases. Organizations need to place greater emphasis on education and training to ensure that the implementation of AI does not lead to risks or exposure.

Related:The Role of AI Avatars in Modernizing Education

What Is AI Washing?

 AI washing is the practice of exaggerating the capabilities of a product or service to make it appear more advanced, inventive or savvy than it is. It's a deceptive promotion tactic used to enable companies to jump on the AI bandwagon en masse.

IT Teams Are Divided Over the Benefits of AI 

Despite the perceived impacts of AI, a recent report has found that IT professionals are divided over how AI can improve their workplace experiences. "The state of AI in ITSM - 2024 and beyond" from ManageEngine and the Service Desk Institute found that half of IT professionals (50%) believe AI will improve their work productivity, probably due to the ability of generative AI to amplify individual capabilities and get work done faster. However, nearly a third (32%) admitted they rarely or never use generative AI and 21% don’t believe it will uplift productivity.

A significant majority (71%) of IT professionals said their organization is still researching or piloting AI in IT support and ITSM operations. Uptake is therefore still in its earliest stages but there’s a clear appetite within the industry to identify and make the most of the possible benefits of the technology, indicating that AI adoption is becoming a pivotal consideration in ITSM strategies.

Related:Why the Turing Test is Wrong

User Experiences and Enterprise Productivity Are AI’s Proving Grounds

Organizations are experiencing a range of impacts on efficiency and end-user satisfaction where IT departments are investing in AI. The majority of spending and research is going towards user experience and productivity initiatives, with a significant focus on the automation of repetitive tasks, predictive analytics for incident prevention and virtual assistance for end-user support.

However, strategic use cases of AI in ITSM, such as intelligent data analytics for insights and decision-making, are seeing the lowest level of current adoption, something that resonates with the fact that many respondents find integrating AI into their existing toolset challenging. Organizations that use AI are focused on light touch integrations. Clearly, despite the buzz around AI’s rapid input-to-benefit speed, embedding emerging technology into enterprise-scale systems is not going to be an overnight job. Yet there is no question it is coming, with the expectation that AI-driven processes will increase substantially within the next five years.

It's always important to recognize and deal with the difficulties that accompany every technology. AI's difficulties are related to costs, ethical issues and data security. Almost half (48%) of IT professionals have a limited or poor awareness of the legal and compliance issues surrounding AI. This figure raises some concerns, especially in comparison to the 75% of respondents who claimed to have a sufficient or better comprehension of fundamental AI concepts and terminologies.

Although leading the charge in AI adoption requires this comprehension, a lack of awareness regarding specialized aspects like regulations, hazards and security can expose businesses to cybersecurity and compliance setbacks.

Key Factors Driving AI Adoption in ITSM

The AI survey revealed that two key motivators are driving the adoption of AI in ITSM. The first is cost reduction, as identified by 81% of respondents and the second is innovation, identified by 67% of respondents.

There’s more to it than that, however. The truth is that implementing truly innovative, effective AI use cases isn’t easy, despite claims to the contrary. The successful adoption of AI across IT enterprises requires them to have advanced knowledge of generative AI, a clear AI strategy and a skilled workforce to build or integrate these solutions. While the AI offerings currently on the market lower the barriers to adopting AI for automating basic service desk tasks, strategic AI use cases have yet to be commoditized, with businesses being held back by a lack of specialized knowledge.

ManageEngine’s research illustrates this situation. It highlights the main challenge to AI adoption, which is a lack of generative AI skills and expertise. Although 45% of IT professionals reported having a basic understanding of generative AI, there’s a significant shortage of generative AI experts, so companies have to start small, employing AI to improve mundane tasks rather than leading bold change—for now. Many companies also face the challenges of budget constraints and a lack of a clear AI strategy.

A Lack of Specialized AI Knowledge Brings Risks

Successful AI integration will hinge on an organization's ability to synchronize technology with its most valuable asset: its people. However, the current picture shows that a lack of AI-specific knowledge in IT teams leaves organizations vulnerable to many risks.

Almost half of respondents (46%) have a poor or limited understanding of AI risks and security measures. Meanwhile, one in four do not have governance frameworks in place for the implementation of AI. More robust frameworks and knowledge are integral to ensuring that businesses comply with regulations when adopting AI. Otherwise, companies could expose themselves to both legal and cybersecurity challenges.

Adapting to AI is more than a technological challenge; it also requires a cultural shift across ITSM. ITSM professionals and organizations need to prepare for a future where AI could be a fundamental part of their service delivery toolkit. However, organizations must align their adoption of this game-changing technology with AI governance frameworks and specialized knowledge. This will reduce risks and ensure that AI implementation will improve output by enhancing the capabilities and efficiency of the human workforce.

About the Author

Kumaravel Ramakrishnan

marketing director of ITSM at ManageEngine, ManageEngine

Kumaravel Ramakrishnan has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. During his 13+ years at ManageEngine, the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, Kumar has participated in service desk implementations and consulting worldwide. In his present role, Kumar leads all marketing initiatives for ManageEngine’s IT Service Management and Privileged Access Management suites. He is a regular speaker at ManageEngine conferences and industry events.

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