The study found that 45% of IT professionals report only a basic understanding of Gen AI, highlighting a significant knowledge gap in the field.
Indeed, knowledge gaps are a significant issue in the cyber field. A 2023 study by international professional association focused on IT governance ISACA showed that nearly 62% of businesses face understaffing issues within their cybersecurity teams.
This lack of specialised knowledge has far-reaching implications, particularly in areas of compliance, legal issues, and ethical considerations.
The report indicates that 61% of IT professionals believe their understanding of AI’s ethical implications is either adequate, limited, or poor.
Moreover, almost half (48%) admit to having poor or limited understanding of the compliance and legal issues surrounding AI implementation, a factor crucial in a maturing regulatory environment.
Perhaps most alarmingly, only 15% of respondents expressed high confidence in their organisations’ ability to manage AI-related security issues. This is increasingly concerning as trends show adversaries are increasingly looking to AI to augment their attacks.
AI’s future in IT
Despite these challenges, the study shows that AI is making inroads in specific areas of IT service management (ITSM).
Virtual assistants for end-user support, assisted knowledge management, and assisted self-service are currently the top three AI-powered technologies used in ITSM operations.
Respondents believe that incident management (79%), knowledge management (73%), and service request management (67%) are the areas most likely to be impacted by AI.
However, the adoption of more strategic AI applications, such as intelligent data analytics for insight and decision-making, lags behind, which the report links to 62% of respondents listing integration challenges.
Yet, as the IT industry grapples with the transformative potential of AI, the report reminds that implementation and skills pose a problem to a broader rollout.
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