Half of all business decisions will be made by artificial intelligence (AI) within two years and boards will start using AI to challenge executive decisions, a global biz-tech advisory firm has predicted.
Gartner has released its latest data and analytics predictions, stating that by 2027 “50 percent of business decisions will be augmented or automated by AI agents for decision intelligence”.
Garner Vice President Analyst for Data, Analytics & AI Carlie Idoine said their analysis also suggested executive AI literacy would drive higher financial performance and by 2029, 10 percent of global boards would use AI guidance to challenge executive decisions.
“Nearly everything today – from the way we work to how we make decisions – is directly or indirectly influenced by AI,” Ms Idoine said.
“But it doesn’t deliver value on its own.”
She said AI needed to be tightly aligned with data, analytics and governance to enable intelligent, adaptive decisions and actions across the organisation.
“AI agents for decision intelligence aren’t a panacea, nor are they infallible.
“They must be used collectively with effective governance and risk management. Human decisions still require proper knowledge, as well as data and AI literacy.”
Ms Idoine said they believed by 2027 organisations that emphasised AI literacy for executives would achieve 20 percent higher financial performance compared with those that did not.
“Unlocking AI’s full business potential requires building executive AI literacy.
“They must be educated on AI opportunities, risks and costs to make effective, future-ready decisions on AI investments that accelerate organisational outcomes.”
She said executives must also be prepared to answer questions from boards, increasingly using AI to interrogate decisions material to their businesses.
“As AI becomes embedded in board-level strategy, the need for strong data governance, regulatory clarity and reputation management will intensify.”
She said it was recommended boards defined the boundaries of AI involvement in decision making and establish clear policies around oversight, responsibility and regulatory compliance.
“This will enable them to use AI as a strategic advisor while maintaining trust and control.”
