1、State ofAI in ITNORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONState ofAI in ITNORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAs a follow-up to a global 2023 IT service management(ITSM)-focused survey on artificial intelligence(AI)adoption in IT organizations that showed significant growth in AI interest and use,two separate surveys focused

2、 on the state of AI adoption in North America were conducted in November 2023.The first survey posed AI-related questions to IT professionals,and the second to end-users.The demographic breakdown for the 250 IT professionals and 750 end-users that responded is included in Appendices 1 and 2,respecti

3、vely.Introduction2This survey is a great snapshot of where North American IT organizations are with the adoption of AI,with most still assessing the opportunities and understanding whats involved.However,the most interesting survey insight is the high level of end-user free AI tool use,with close to

4、 three-quarters already using free AI tools such as ChatGPT to help improve their productivity.Its an unpreventable iteration of the traditional“Shadow IT”issue(and opportunity)that IT organizations need to carefully manage in 2024.Note from the authorStephen MannPrincipal Analyst and Content Direct

5、or,ITSM.tools3The majority of IT respondents(58%)said their organizations were still in the early stages of AI adoption.Planning(20%)Early exploration(24%)Pilot projects(14%)The IT team was the originator of AI adoption activities in IT in nearly two-thirds of organizations(61%),with the C-suite acc

6、ounting for one-quarter(24%).In organizations where the C-suite had originated the need,AI adoption had progressed less than those where the IT team had done this.Key insightsThe most common use cases were:Creative ideation or problem-solving(34%)Email drafting or editing(30%)Content creation or edi

7、ting(26%)75%of end-user respondents stated that theyre already using free AI tools like ChatGPT for their work.Only 11%had no plans for AI adoption in IT.4STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONMore than half(52%)of IT respondents stated that their organizations are spending at least 5%of their

8、 IT budgets on AI.When the data is limited to only the organization with AI spend,this is 74%.The three most stated benefits of AI adoption in IT are:Data analytics and synthesizing insights(45%)Chatbots for self-service adoption(38%)Improving employee experience(34%)Workflow automation and optimiza

9、tion(34%)The top three barriers to AI adoption for IT professionals are:Customer data security(42%)Additional cost(39%)Inaccuracy or inconsistency(33%)Key insights5STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONOnly a quarter(26%)of end-user respondents were happy with how their IT support team worked.

10、36%of end-user respondents were happy with their IT teams use of AI,and another 19%would like them to start using it.When the“Dont know”responses are removed,this is 46%and 25%,respectively,and 71%in total.We also asked IT professionals to specify the business areas where AI shouldnt be used.The top

11、 three responses were:Ethical and legal decision-making(41%)People management(30%)Customer relationship management(29%)Key insights6STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONWe surveyed over 250 IT professionals to get an understanding of their perspective on AI in IT.Some of the areas we covered

12、were:The number of IT support contacts in the last six months The most frequent support contact method Desired IT support changes IT support AI use.There were also end-user AI use questions related to:The frequency of end-user AI use The AI tool use cases AI use perspectives Unsuitable AI areas.Surv

13、ey insightsThe AI adoptionstateAI adoptionbarriersAI no-go areasAI resourceallocationIT budgetspendThe perceived benefits of AIThe AI adoption timeframeThe origin of ITs AI adoption needs12345678IT professionalsWhat stage best describes your organizations current adoption of AI for IT?The AI adoptio

14、n stateIt can be hard for organizations to understand whether theyre ahead of or behind the AI adoption curve.To help,the first“core”survey question asked the respondents to describe their organizations current AI adoption state.The key data points are:The majority of respondents(58%)said their orga

15、nizations were still in the early stages of AI adoption either planning(20%),early exploitation(24%),or pilot projects(14%).27%of respondents have progressed past the AI pilot projects stage to have functioning AI capabilities in IT.Only 11%of respondents stated that their organizations have no plan

16、s for AI adoption in IT.Although,the selection of some of these options might have been dependent on respondent interpretation.Eg.whether the addition and use of AI-enabled capabilities within existing SaaS software was considered AI adoption.FullIntegrationPartialIntegrationPilotProjectsEarlyExplor

17、ationPlanningNoInvestment8%20%14%24%21%12%05101520258STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONPhyllis DruckerAuthor,Keynote Speaker,Service Management Thought LeaderGetting started in a familiar environment with AI applications built into ITSM tool capabilities makes it easier for administrators

18、to gain experience working with AI and can help IT make a business case for other,more costly options.Consider this an easy call to action:start where you are.Learn what your current ITSM tool can support using AI and leverage those capabilities,then grow into other areas.9STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AM

19、ERICA 2024 EDITIONIf your organization is investing or planning to invest in AI initiatives and tools,where did the requirement originate?The origin of ITs AI adoption needsWhile ITs adoption of AI-enabled capabilities might seem inevitable,its interesting to understand the origins of organizations

20、investments.The IT team was the originator of AI adoption activities in nearly two-thirds of organizations(61%),with the C-suite accounting for one-quarter(24%).When the“Not applicable”and“Other”responses are removed,the“inflated”percentages are 72%and 28%,respectively which better shows the differe

21、nce between these two drivers of AI adoption in IT.Looking beyond these full sample figures,organizations where the C-suite had originated the need for AI had progressed less than those where the IT team had done this.72%28%C-suiteIT10STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONThe AI teamsits withi

22、nanother function6+employees2-5employees1employeeWe donthave anyonespecificallyfocusing on AI32%7%26%7%28%05101520253035AI resourceallocationThe lack of appropriate AI skills and resources is often cited as a barrier to AI Adoption.A surprising 28%of respondents stated that their organizations dont

23、have anyone specifically focusing on AI.However,the majority of these organizations(94%)hadnt progressed with AI in production.At the other end of the spectrum,65%of organizations have two or more people focused on AI,and another 7%have AI-focused resources within a separate function.Looking beyond

24、these full sample figures,where the AI team sits within another function,close to two-thirds(61%)of the organizations were at the Partial Integration stage,with the remainder in Pilot Projects and Early Exploration.None were at Full Integration.How big is your(dedicated)AI team within IT?11STATE OF

25、AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONIT budget spendThe extra costs associated with AI adoption are inevitably a barrier to its adoption.However,more than half(60%)of respondents stated that their organizations are spending at least 5%of their IT budgets on AI.When the data is limited to only the orga

26、nization with AI spend,this is 74%.Looking beyond these full sample figures,87%of the organizations with no IT budget allocation dont have anyone specifically focused on AI.None have either a Partial Integration or a Full Integration.What percentage of the IT budgetis allocated to AI initiatives?39%

27、20%20%5-10%of budgetNo budgetallocation10%of budget21%This spend likely doesnt include tools with AI components,and is only for standalone AI tools.Roy Atkinson,CEO|Principal Advisor,Clifton Butterfield12STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONWhat benefits do you anticipate orhave realized thro

28、ugh AI?The perceivedbenefits of AIAs with any new technology,its important to understand its benefits to business operations and outcomes.The three most stated benefits of AI adoption in IT are:Data analytics and synthesizing insights(45%)Chatbots for self-service adoption(38%)Improving employee exp

29、erience(34%)Workflow automation and optimization(34%)These top benefits were as expected,and only 7%of them didnt think that AI would benefit their organizations much.Data analytics and synthesizing insights45%Chatbot for self-service adoption38%Workflow automation and optimization34%Improving emplo

30、yee experience34%Predictive maintenance and security28%IT infrastructure management28%Remember that these are only benefits if they add value.Bad AI-driven analytics can and will kill companies.James Finister,AI Ethicist13STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONThe AI adoption timeframeFor the s

31、urvey question related to the speed with which IT organizations would adopt AI,its important to appreciate that it could be interpreted and responded to in two distinct ways the respondent could answer for their organization(and potentially others they know),or they could answer for the IT industry

32、as a whole.The highest scoring response(before rounding)was that AI will take 1-2 years to become common within IT teams(28.4%).However,27.6%of respondents believed this was already the case logically,this is likely to reflect the state of AI adoption in a finite number of organizations rather than

33、the IT industry as a whole.Only 20%of respondents thought that AI would take over two years to become mainstream in IT.How long do you think will it take for AI to become common within IT teams?Over 2 years1-2 years0-1 yearIts alreadyhappeningDont know16%20%28%28%8%0510152025303514STATE OF AI IN IT

34、NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAI adoptionbarriersA common challenge or barrier to AI adoption has long been the availability of suitable people and expertise.This was joint fourth in this survey,behind customer data security(42%),additional cost(39%),and inaccuracy or inconsistency(33%),and tied with go

35、vernance and compliance(28%).The lack of fit-for-purpose AI tools was stated by only 10%of respondents.The customer data security challenge was most prevalent in banking and finance,software,manufacturing,and retail and e-commerce.The same was true for the additional cost challenge,too.What are the

36、concerns or barriersto AI adoption for you?42%39%33%28%28%23%21%Customer data securityAdditional costInaccuracy or inconsistencyLack of experience within the IT teamGovernance and complianceCompeting prioritiesPrivacy of individualsI find it difficult to believe resistance to change is low(at 18%);t

37、his relates to both IT staff and customers.John Custy,ITSM Consultant,JPC Group15STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAI no-go areasWhile AI is seen as beneficial to IT organizations,the final“core”survey question also asked about the areas that respondents would not like AI to penetrate.The

38、three top most stated areas were:Ethical and legal decision-making(41%)People management(30%)Customer relationship management(29%)5%of respondents were happy for AI to penetrate all of the area options.This is another question where the potential for response misalignment needs to be recognized.Part

39、icularly whether the respondents considered their answers in the context of AI operating with minimal human intervention or augmenting existing human activities and capabilities.Which areas of the business wouldyou like AI to not penetrate?41%Ethical and legal decision-making30%People management29%C

40、ustomer relationship management26%Handling customer data26%Handling sensitive business data or IP26%High-level strategic planning24%Quality control and accountability16STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONSyachfri TjhiaHead of IT,Catalyst EducationIts interesting to see no-go areas such as Ha

41、ndling sensitive business data or intellectual property.I actually see these as an opportunity for AI in general,particularly in the cybersecurity space.AI should be leveraged to learn what constitutes sensitive data or IP and perform protection automatically(eg.the encryption of information)to lowe

42、r business risks in the event of data breaches.We already do it.17STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONTo balance the IT professional view of AI adoption,a separate survey asked IT support and AI-related questions to a sample of 750 end-users.The IT support questions related to:The number of

43、IT support contacts in the last six months The most frequent support contact method Desired IT support changes IT support AI use.There were also end-user AI use questions related to:The frequency of end-user AI use The AI tool use cases AI use perspectives Unsuitable AI areas.IT supportcontact frequ

44、encyDesired IT support changesAI usageby ITEnd-userAI usage frequencyAI no-goareasEnd-userAI use casesAI usageperspectivePreferred channelsfor contacting IT12345768Survey insightsEnd usersHow many times have you contacted IT support in your company in the last six months?IT support contactfrequency8

45、1%of the respondents in the survey sample had contacted their IT support team at least once in the past six months.25%of the respondents had contacted IT support three or more times and only 19%of them had never contacted IT.Roughly 8%of the respondents didnt have an IT support team.The data points

46、shared above take into account only the ones who did.05101520253035Zero19%Once26%Twice30%Three ormore times25%19STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONHow do you(most frequently)contact IT support in your company?The most common(primary)methods of accessing support are:Email(26%)Phone call(25%)

47、Chatbots(20%),with 80%of these being AI chatbotsInterestingly,the IT support portal only accounted for 6%of primary contact methods perhaps a sign of question interpretation and its use for service requests but not for issue handling.Looking beyond these full sample figures,the respondents who state

48、d they had contacted IT support three or more times in the last six months were less likely to call(only 17%versus 25%for the full sample).Preferred channelsfor contacting ITSupport portalMicrosoft TeamsIn-personChatbot(AI+Non-AI)Phone callEmail6%7%9%20%25%26%20STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 E

49、DITIONDoug TedderPrincipal,Tedder ConsultingEnd-users are embracing interacting with AI-enabled technologies to support their IT issues and they want more.The survey findings challenge the opinion that end-users wouldnt find success in interacting with chatbots,and indicate how well chatbot capabili

50、ties have evolved over the past few years.21STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONPhyllis DruckerCompanies can focus on chatbots integrated with the corporate IM platform(like Slack and Teams)to increase the ability of employees to self-resolve common issues and to interface with the service p

51、ortal conversationally.This approach improves their experience,adds a support channel,and increases portal adoption by making it easier to use.Author,Keynote Speaker,Service Management Thought Leader22STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONWhat would you like your IT team to start,or stop,doing

52、?Desired IT support changesOnly a quarter(26%)of survey respondents were happy with how their IT support team worked.The most common improvement requests were:Confirm if my issue is resolved before closing my ticket(31%)Offer 24/7 support(30%)Give me more options to contact support(23%)Shorten resol

53、ution timesShorten response timesGive me more options to contact supportNothing.Im happy with the way they work.Offer 24/7 supportConfirm if my issue is resolved before closing my ticket20%21%23%26%30%31%This shows how IT has not addressed support well,and IT portals are seen more as request portals

54、.John Custy,ITSM Consultant,JPC Group23STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONWhen the“happy”respondents are removed from the sample data,these percentages increase to:Confirm if my issue is resolved before closing my ticket(42%)Offer 24/7 support(41%)Give me more options to contact support(31%

55、)Looking beyond the full sample figures,the respondents who stated they had contacted IT support three or more times in the last six months were far less likely to be happy with IT support(only 13%versus 26%for the full sample),with the largest improvement deltas for this group.Interestingly,the lar

56、gest deltas were for the three highest“full sample”improvement areas along with shortening the response and resolution times.At the other end of the delta spectrum,the high-contact users werent any more interested in fixing their own issues or knowing where they are in the process/queue than the ful

57、l sample.Comparison:What would you like your IT team to start,or stop,doing?ResponseFull SampleHigh UseDeltaConfirm if my issue is resolved before closing my ticket31%45%+14%Give me more options to contact support23%32%+9%Give me the option to talk with an AI chatbot18%24%+6%Let me fix IT issues mys

58、elf12%13%+1%Offer 24/7 support30%39%+9%Show me they care about my perspective15%18%+3%Shorten resolution times20%30%+10%Shorten response times21%31%+10%Stop trying to pass the buck or transfer me around12%15%+3%Tell me how long I have to wait for a response17%21%+4%Tell me when my issue will be fixe

59、d19%24%+5%Tell me where I am in the process/queue13%13%-Desired IT support changes24STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONSyachfri TjhiaHead of IT,Catalyst EducationGenerative AI will start a new chapter on how information is served to end-users.People want everything instantly these days,and

60、this applies to having their questions answered or issues resolved.Having the technology to enable this 24x7 will be a game changer for many support teams,freeing up their time to be more productive in other areas.25STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAI usage by ITWhile its appreciated that

61、 end-users might not know whether their IT team is using AI for support or not,the results of this survey question were positive in favor of AI use.36%were happy with their IT teams use of AI,and another 19%would like them to use it.When the“Dont know”responses are removed,this is 46%and 25%,respect

62、ively,and 71%in total.Looking beyond these full sample figures,the respondents who had contacted IT support three or more times in the last six months were far more likely to have access to helpful AI(43%versus 36%for the full sample).While correlation does not imply causation,this could be indicati

63、ve of making IT contact easier resulting in greater IT support use.Is your IT team using AI(chatbots,etc.)for support?46%11%18%Yes,andit helpsYes,and I wishthey didntNo,and Im happythey dontWere not using AI25%26STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONEnd-user AI usage frequency75%of survey resp

64、ondents stated that theyre already using free AI tools like ChatGPT for their work.Close to half(46%)of the respondents use these tools at least once a week.Looking beyond these full sample figures,the respondents who stated they had contacted IT support three or more times in the last six months we

65、re far more likely to use AI tools on a daily basis(28%versus 18%for the full sample).Roughly,how often do you use ChatGPT orsimilar free AI tools for your work?051015202530NeverLess thanonce a monthMonthlyWeeklyDaily25%15%14%28%18%27STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONEnd-user AIuse casesWe

66、 asked end-user respondents what they used free AI tools for.The most common AI tool use cases for the full sample were:Creative ideation or problem-solving(34%)Email drafting or editing(30%)Content creation or editing(26%)Interestingly,72%of the survey sample had heard of ChatGPT versus the next hi

67、ghest option,Bard,at just 4%.What do you use the AI tools for?Planning projects or eventsContent summarizationMarket researchData analysisContent creation or editingEmail drafting or editingCreative ideation21%21%22%22%26%30%34%28STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAI usageperspective39%of s

68、urvey respondents werent concerned about their organizations use of AI.When the“Dont know”and“Were not using AI”responses are removed,this increases to 52%.This puts the“No,Im not concerned”response marginally ahead of those related to concerns about AI use:Yes,because the use of AI is limited(21%)Y

69、es,because were using it too liberally(18%)Yes,because its hindering not helping(9%)However,the highest of these concern areas is related to the limited use of AI.When this 21%is added to the 52%,close to three-quarters of end-user respondents can be considered to be“pro AI”.Are you concerned abouth

70、ow your organization is using AI?52%21%18%9%Yes,because itshindering not helpingYes,because wereusing it too liberallyYes,because the useof AI is limitedNo,notconcerned29STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONTalent acquisitionPerformance managementQuality control and accountabilityHandling cus

71、tomer dataPeople managementCustomer relationship managementEthical and legal decision-making25%25%28%32%33%36%39%Which areas of the businesswould you like AI to not penetrate?This is the only survey question that was asked to both IT professionals and end-users.The top three most-stated areas were:E

72、thical and legal decision-making(39%)Customer relationship management(36%)People management(33%)AI no-go areas30STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONComparison:Which areas of the businesswould you like AI to not penetrate?The comparison of end-user and IT professional responses found them to

73、be similar as shown in the table.End-users were,on the whole,slightly more against AI use than IT professionals,including in two of the shared top three areas.End-users were also more concerned about using AI for handling customer data,talent acquisition,performance management,and quality control an

74、d accountability.11%of respondents were happy for AI to penetrate all of the potentially problematic area options.Thats more than double the percentage of IT professionals.AI no-go areasResponseIT Pro%End user%DeltaCustomer relationship management29%36%+7%Ethical and legal decision-making41%39%-2%Ha

75、ndling customer data26%32%+6%Handling sensitive business data or intellectual property26%23%-3%High-level strategic planning26%23%-3%People management30%33%+3%Performance management20%25%+5%Quality control and accountability24%28%+4%Talent acquisition20%25%+5%None of the above5%11%+6%31STATE OF AI I

76、N IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONAlan BerksonFounder,Intelligist GroupThe AI no-go areas,where IT users and leaders see some resistance to adoption,actually represent the role of people in an AI assisted world.Ethics,relationship management,and strategic decision making require empathy,critical thinki

77、ng,creativity,and problem solving skills.These are distinctly human capabilities.Thats the future of work.32STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONGiven the different survey questions,its not possible to formally compare the NorthAmerican IT professional and end-user AI views at a response leve

78、l(bar the earlier“AI no-go areas,”that showed both sets of respondents were most concerned about AI use in the same areas).However,the two discrete data sets do offer valuable insights into the IT professional and end-user perspectives of AI and its use:Most IT organizations are still in the early s

79、tages of AI adoption,with only 11%not expected to adopt AI for IT operations.AI is already a significant component of the IT budget,with 52%of organizations spending over 5%of their IT budget on AI(which is 74%of the organizations with an AI budget).IT respondents saw the top three benefits of AI ad

80、option in IT as Data analytics and synthesizing insights(45%),Chatbots for self-service adoption(38%),and Improving employee experience and Workflow automation and optimization(tied at 34%).Only 7%of IT respondents didnt see the potential for AI to benefit their organizations.IT respondents believed

81、 the top three barriers to AI adoption to be customer data security(42%),additional cost(39%),and inaccuracy or inconsistency(33%).The three top most stated areas by IT where AI shouldnt be used were Ethical and legal decision-making(41%),People management(30%),and Customer relationship Summary33STA

82、TE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITIONmanagement(29%).These were also the same for end-users who were also marginally more wary of AI.Two-thirds(66%)of the end-user respondents had contacted IT support at least once in the past six months.The most common(primary)methods of accessing support are E

83、mail and Phone call at 26%and 25%,respectively.Chatbots were the third preferred channel at 20%,with 80%of these being AI-driven chatbots.The IT support portal only accounted for 6%of primary contact methods.In companies where IT uses AI(chatbots,etc.)for support,over 80%of employees were happy they

84、 did.36%of end-user respondents were happy with their IT teams use of AI,and another 19%wanted them to use it.When the Dont know responses were removed,this was 46%and 25%,respectively,and 71%in total.However,only a quarter(26%)of end-user respondents were fully happy with how their IT support team

85、worked.75%of end-users stated that theyre already using AI tools like ChatGPT for their work.The most common use cases were Creative ideation or problem-solving(34%),Email drafting or editing(30%),and Content creation or editing(26%).This figure far outweighs the level of corporate progress with AI

86、and,if not managed,brings with it risks related to data leaks and misinformed decision-making and actions.Please note that respondents of the survey are likely to be from different organizations,and this should be borne in mind when reading the statistics.Summary34STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 202

87、4 EDITIONAppendix 1:IT professionaldemographicsCountryPercentageUnited States83%Canada17%Role-levelPercentageC-level12%Technical staff28%Business administrator2%Senior manager8%Director10%Middle management39%IndustryPercentageBanking and Finance14%Charity and Volunteering1%Education7%Energy and Util

88、ity4%Government and Public Administration3%Healthcare8%Information Technology Non-software5%Information Technology Software22%Logistics and Mobility4%Manufacturing13%Professional Services6%Public Sector1%Retail and eCommerce8%Other5%STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITION35CountryPercentageUnit

89、ed States83%Canada17%Business functionPercentageCustomer Support or Success29%Design8%Engineering9%Marketing16%Product Management13%Sales26%Appendix 2:End-userdemographicsSTATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITION36Ready to explore your teams AI-readiness?Schedule a briefing with our team of experts to learn how AI can solve problems and inefficiencies in IT service management and automation.Learn more37STATE OF AI IN IT NORTH AMERICA 2024 EDITION