Artificial Intelligence: A Measured Approach for Adoption

Jitterbit’s Manoj Chaudhary offers insights on artificial intelligence and the measured approach for adoption. This article originally appeared on Solutions Review’s Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community enabling the human conversation on AI.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, and business leaders are under increasing pressure to adopt it to remain competitive. However, instead of rushing into AI adoption, many companies are realizing that a strategic approach offers the best path forward.

Gradually integrating AI into business operations not only minimizes disruption but also allows organizations to adapt, learn, and evolve as they unlock the full potential of AI.

Despite generative AI’s rising prominence, a recent survey by Ernst and Young indicates 38 percent of respondents favor a measured, incremental approach to adoption — indicating sensitivity to issues around ethics and accountability.

At Jitterbit, we champion an evolutionary approach to AI, empowering business leaders to implement AI at their own pace. Our unified, AI-infused, low-code Harmony platform supports this approach by enabling seamless and scalable integration of AI capabilities across organizations. A strategic, phased integration of AI into workflows is key for several reasons:

1. To minimize disruptions to existing infrastructure

2. To ensure adoption through a human-centric change management strategy

3. Allow time to navigate compliance, security, and governance issues

Research shows that the successful scaling of AI extends well beyond initial deployment. According to McKinsey, 63 percent of businesses are still experimenting with AI, while only 12 percent have reached a high level of AI maturity. After implementation, the real challenge lies in operationalizing AI — integrating it into core processes, training teams to leverage it effectively, and continuously refining inputs.

A Human-Centric Approach for Easing AI Adoption for Non-Technical Users

A critical aspect of the evolutionary approach to AI integration is making advanced AI tools accessible to a broader range of users, especially those without technical expertise. Historically, the complexity of AI has limited its use to specialized professionals like data scientists and software developers. However, by employing solutions that are infused with AI, businesses can empower non-technical employees to leverage AI to automate routine tasks, enhance decision-making, and improve operational efficiency.

Increasing democratization and accessibility of AI tools fosters innovation and encourages collaboration across the organization. AI capabilities enable both technical and non-technical teams to build applications to bridge the data divide and achieve faster digital transformation. Solutions that bridge this gap allow users from various backgrounds to deploy AI-infused automation and develop intelligent applications without the need for great technical skills.

A human-centric approach is essential for successful change management and AI adoption, ensuring that non-technical users feel empowered, not overwhelmed, by new technology. This approach involves creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and offering comprehensive training and support so employees can confidently integrate AI into their daily workflows.

By focusing on user experience and ease of adoption, businesses can reduce resistance to change, increase engagement, and drive faster adoption rates. Ultimately, placing people at the center of AI adoption boosts productivity and fosters a culture of innovation where every employee, regardless of technical expertise, plays a role in advancing the organization’s digital transformation journey.

Pro tip: When adopting AI in your organization, prioritize tools with user-friendly interfaces that empower non-technical employees to use AI effectively. By simplifying AI integration and providing the right training, businesses can accelerate their transformation and create a culture of innovation where every employee contributes, regardless of their technical background.

Scaling Up with AI at Your Own Pace

Another central tenet of a successful evolutionary AI strategy is allowing businesses to adopt AI at their own pace. Many companies are hesitant to embrace AI because of the perceived risk of overhauling their existing infrastructure.

At an enterprise level, business leaders also need time to navigate compliance, security, and governance issues before full AI deployment. An evolutionary approach reassures businesses that AI can be integrated into current systems incrementally, reducing disruption while delivering tangible results.

Where to Begin with AI

First, it’s important to identify and prioritize challenges and pain points that AI tools could support. Second, AI capabilities should be deployed in select controlled environments for specific use cases before widespread integration of AI into business processes. This approach allows organizations to experiment with AI-infused automation in specific areas and ensures teams are aligned before scaling up across departments.

By gradually introducing AI into workflows, businesses can start small and expand AI capabilities as teams become more skilled and familiar with using the technology. This minimizes risks, such as operational downtime or data security concerns.

Pro tip: Start small when introducing AI into your business by identifying a specific pain point and launching a pilot project to address it. This phased approach helps your team understand AI’s potential while minimizing risks. Once you’ve mastered AI in one area, you can confidently expand its use, ensuring alignment with your broader business goals.

AI as a Catalyst for Innovation and Business Transformation

AI is emerging as a powerful catalyst for business transformation, not by replacing human employees but by enhancing their capabilities. AI enables employees to focus on more strategic, higher-value tasks while automating routine, repetitive processes. This shift allows for improved decision-making, greater efficiency, and more innovation.

By utilizing AI to analyze vast amounts of data and generate insights, companies can also uncover new growth opportunities, optimize resource allocation, and reduce operational costs. The result is a more agile, competitive organization that can adapt quickly to market changes and continuously innovate. AI empowers businesses to achieve long-term success by fostering a culture of creativity and strategic thinking, ensuring that human intelligence and artificial intelligence work hand-in-hand to drive transformative growth.

Pro tip: When introducing AI, focus on its ability to enhance and complement your workforce rather than viewing it as a replacement. Empowering employees with AI tools not only improves efficiency but also promotes innovation, which can position your business to better adapt to future challenges.

Conclusion

As companies navigate the complexities of AI, a gradual, evolutionary approach minimizes risks and ensures long-term viability and alignment with existing operations and business goals.

By adopting AI incrementally — starting with manageable use cases, building team proficiency, and addressing compliance and security concerns — organizations are more likely to achieve sustained success.

As AI becomes more accessible, it will transform workflows and unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth, allowing businesses to scale confidently in this new era of digital transformation.