Gartner: 'We Shape AI, AI Shapes Us'

pcmag.com:

AI is the theme of the year, and it was certainly in evidence at Gartner's annual IT Symposium conference in Orlando, which started this morning with a keynote titled "We Shape AI, AI Shapes Us." In the keynote, Gartner analysts began by imploring the audience of CIOs and technology executives to focus on the profound shift in the relationship between humans and machines brought about by the emergence of AI.

"Machines have evolved from tools to teammates," said Gartner Distinguished Analyst Don Scheibenreif. He quoted Gartner surveys indicating that 51% of CEOs expect CIOs or other tech leaders to lead their generative AI efforts. However, he said only 47% of CIOs and tech leaders are confident that their enterprise will mitigate the risks of AI.

He and Mary Mesaglio, another Gartner Distinguished Analyst, laid out a three-part roadmap for preparing to deal with AI: create "lighthouse principles" for AI that align with the values of your organization, make your data AI ready, and implement AI security.

Much of the focus was on how the role of machines is changing from a tool to a friend, protector, therapist, boss, customer, threat, etc. Mesaglio said that young children won't remember a time when machines didn't talk back, and how many will think of machines as friends. Scheibenreif has written a book on "When Machines Become Customers."

"AI is the new machine, and you are in a relationship with it," he said, so we need to be intentional with it.

The pair spent the largest part of the keynote discussing what they called the "Opportunity AI Radar," which divides AI initiatives into four categories, split between "everyday AI" and "game-changing AI."

Mesaglio explained that everyday AI is focused on helping us do what we