What leaders should be asking potential AI partners

The past three years have been filled with promises that AI will reinvent how companies do business. Countless AI innovations have entered the marketplace from simple tools that automate tasks like research, data management, and reporting, to platforms that help companies aggregate data in preparation for AI applications. Expectations for higher margins, reduced labor, and increased shareholder value led many companies to ride the wave and invest in a wide range of AI solutions. In some cases, expectations have been met, but only on a narrow or departmental scale, or as part of testing. In others, expectations have fallen short. According to researchers with MIT’s Project NANDA, only 5% of companies report seeing a return on AI investments that collectively total $30–$40 billion in enterprise spending on GenAI. For many companies, AI investments improve specific workflows in departments but have yet to deliver strategic advantages across the entire organization. A NEW BUYING APPROACH HAS EMERGED During AI testing phases, it’s perfectly acceptable to allow technology and department teams to evaluate and test AI solutions. In fact, this step is key to understanding where the tools m…